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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · cue · staff · mate · rash · mark · race · racket

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — a trace
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. race — the arms race
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — a hint
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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