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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cue — for pool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. race — humankind
  6. cap — of ice
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. race — a contest
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bass — low music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bass — the fish
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. cue — a signal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cap — a lid
  19. snap — to click
  20. mate — a partner
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. race — the arms race
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cue — a hint

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