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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: bowl · staff · pit · mate · race · cue

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mate — a friend
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. cue — for pool
  6. race — the arms race
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mate — a partner
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. pit — a hole

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