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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 · perch · press · dip · fan · game · cue · ruler

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. press — to push
  5. cue — for pool
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. race — a contest
  8. cue — a signal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. press — a publisher
  19. game — a match
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cue — a hint
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. race — the arms race
  24. ruler — for measuring

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