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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: kid · present · arm · deal · pass · patient · cue · net

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. present — a gift
  5. net — in sport
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cue — a signal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. deal — to handle
  11. present — the time now
  12. pass — a permit
  13. net — for catching
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. kid — child
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. present — there
  21. cue — for pool
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. net — after costs
  24. patient — a sick person

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