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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. 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. cue — a signal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. race — humankind
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. race — a contest
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. prune — to trim
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. 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