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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stock — goods
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cue — a hint
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stock — shares
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cue — for pool
  13. race — a contest
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. suit — to fit
  18. last — finally
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. game — a match
  21. bass — low music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bass — the fish

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