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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cue — a hint
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cue — for pool
  9. race — the arms race
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. race — humankind
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. race — a contest
  16. cue — a signal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pit — a hole
  21. drill — a practice
  22. craft — boats
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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