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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. race — humankind
  5. cap — a lid
  6. race — a contest
  7. rush — hurry
  8. craft — boats
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cap — of ice
  16. race — the arms race
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cue — a hint
  19. craft — a skill
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rush — a thrill

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