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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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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: stem · fine · race · cue · mate · pound

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. race — a contest
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mate — to breed
  6. race — humankind
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fine — all right
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mate — a friend

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