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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. race — humankind
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. cue — a hint
  9. race — a contest
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. track — a song
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. last — final
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitch — completely
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bank — for money
  24. track — a path

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