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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 116 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: cue · scale · pass · kid · race · bound · chair · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bound — tied together
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chair — a leader
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. bound — certain
  8. cue — for pool
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kid — child
  14. race — humankind
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. scale — in music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mate — a partner
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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