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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. race — humankind
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pit — in a race
  6. club — a group
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bound — certain
  10. cue — for pool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bass — the fish
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bass — low music
  21. race — a contest
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cue — a hint
  24. club — for golf

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