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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 120 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 take my ________________ from you.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. bound — obliged
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. object — to protest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bound — certain
  8. object — an aim
  9. cue — a signal
  10. object — a thing
  11. bound — tied together
  12. race — a contest
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fall — the season
  16. fork — in a road
  17. suit — clothes
  18. race — humankind
  19. fall — to drop
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. suit — to fit
  23. fall — to drop
  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