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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: cabinet · staff · race · march · racket · wake

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. race — humankind
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. march — the month
  8. race — a contest
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wake — a trail
  13. march — music
  14. staff — employees
  15. march — the month
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. staff — employees
  18. cabinet — ministers

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