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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cue — a hint
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. race — a contest
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tear — from crying
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. track — to keep track
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. tear — from crying
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tear — to rip
  20. race — humankind
  21. cue — a signal
  22. track — a path
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. track — a song

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