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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. cue — a signal
  3. race — humankind
  4. mug — a cup
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. field — farmland
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. field — for sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cue — a hint
  15. field — a subject
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mug — to rob
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mug — a face
  22. race — a contest
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cue — for pool

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