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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 120 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cue — for pool
  4. land — ground
  5. rash — a series
  6. staff — employees
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — a contest
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. band — a music group
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cue — a hint
  15. land — a country
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rash — hasty
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — to come down
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. staff — employees
  22. race — humankind
  23. band — a ring
  24. patient — a sick person

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