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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: race · pass · staff · bowl · key · cue · bass · mark

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. race — a contest
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. key — in music
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cue — a hint
  15. race — humankind
  16. staff — employees
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. staff — employees
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bass — low music

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