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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. current — happening now
  3. cue — for pool
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. clip — a video
  9. race — a contest
  10. rule — government
  11. current — of water
  12. race — humankind
  13. ball — a great time
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rule — a law
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. clip — for paper
  20. current — electric
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. clip — to cut
  24. ball — a dance

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