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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. race — a contest
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. race — the arms race
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. club — a group
  9. branch — a division
  10. cue — for pool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rock — a stone
  15. race — humankind
  16. club — for golf
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cue — a hint
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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