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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: dip · race · march · date · row · cabinet · deal · cue

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — a line
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. march — the month
  6. race — the arms race
  7. deal — to handle
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — a hint
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. march — music
  15. date — the fruit
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. row — to paddle
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cue — for pool
  21. race — a contest
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cue — a signal
  24. deal — a big deal

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