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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: bowl · spell · bound · tear · cue · season · mark · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. season — in sport
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mark — a trace
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. season — of the year
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mark — a grade
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. spell — magic
  18. tear — to rip
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bound — tied together
  21. race — a contest
  22. cue — a signal
  23. tear — from crying
  24. spell — letters

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