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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: pop · net · hide · fork · cue · cabinet · arm · row

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. net — for catching
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. net — in sport
  8. cue — for pool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cue — a signal
  11. row — a line
  12. pop — music
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. row — to paddle
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. net — after costs
  21. pop — soda
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pop — to visit
  24. arm — part of the body

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