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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 · ruler · rash · cue · toast · drill

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. drill — a practice
  4. race — a contest
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rash — a series
  7. drill — army training
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cue — a hint
  11. race — the arms race
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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