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

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. race — humankind
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kick — in football
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pass — a permit
  18. kick — a thrill

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