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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: chip · race · content · fine · arm · cue · pitcher · bay

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cue — a signal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. content — happy
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fine — all right
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cue — a hint
  23. content — the amount
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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