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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. 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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cue — a signal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mate — a partner
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. race — humankind
  12. rash — hasty
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. race — the arms race
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — a friend
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. race — a contest
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. 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