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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · staff · ground · cue · rule · key · perch · cabinet

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rule — government
  6. key — for a lock
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — a position
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rule — a law
  13. ground — crushed
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cue — a signal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ground — the earth
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com