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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 · chair · bay · swing · date · arm · stick · current

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. current — happening now
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cue — a signal
  7. chair — a leader
  8. swing — music
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. current — electric
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — of water
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cue — for pool
  22. swing — to play on
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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