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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 · snap · last · pitch · root · patient · cue · stock

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. root — of a word
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. snap — to click
  8. pitch — completely
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stock — goods
  11. root — the cause
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stock — shares
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. last — to go on
  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