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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. board — to get on
  4. cue — for pool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — all right
  9. drill — army training
  10. staff — employees
  11. race — humankind
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. staff — employees
  15. cue — a signal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fine — high quality
  18. staff — a stick
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. race — the arms race
  21. board — a committee
  22. cue — a hint
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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