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

Word bank: straw · dip · deal · race · club · cue

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cue — a hint
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cue — a signal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. cue — for pool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. club — for dancing
  10. race — a contest
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. race — humankind
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. dip — to sink
  15. club — for golf
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. club — a group

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