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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. season — of the year
  3. pop — to visit
  4. race — humankind
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bound — obliged
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pop — soda
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cue — a hint
  14. content — the amount
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pop — music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. season — in sport
  21. content — happy
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. cabinet — ministers

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