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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pop — to visit
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. cue — for pool
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pop — soda
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. roll — a list
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pop — music
  24. cell — in biology

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