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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: bear · kid · saw · cell · ball · cue · track · race

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — a contest
  4. cell — in biology
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cue — for pool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kid — child
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. track — a song
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cue — a hint
  20. race — humankind
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. ball — a dance
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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