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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 124 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: cue · arm · cold · fork · swing · rush · mouse · patient

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — to play on
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. swing — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cue — a hint

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