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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bass — low music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bank — for money
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bass — the fish
  14. race — humankind
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bank — of a river
  17. face — to confront
  18. race — a contest

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