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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · cell · ruler · stock · mouse · cue

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cell — in biology
  4. race — a contest
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stock — goods
  10. race — humankind
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stock — shares
  18. mouse — for a computer

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