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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: race · rest · racket · cue · bowl · field

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. field — for sport
  5. rest — a break
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. race — humankind
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cue — for pool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. race — a contest
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cue — a signal

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