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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: arm · swing · stick · wake · mug · spring · cue · pitcher

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cue — a signal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wake — a trail
  5. spring — of water
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spring — the season
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mug — a face
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. swing — to play on
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — music
  21. spring — a coil
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cue — for pool

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