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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: cue · race · field · plane · mate · fine · clip · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pit — a hole
  4. race — humankind
  5. clip — a video
  6. mate — a friend
  7. race — the arms race
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. field — a subject
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. clip — for paper
  14. fine — all right
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. field — for sport
  19. race — a contest
  20. fine — high quality
  21. field — farmland
  22. cue — for pool
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mate — to breed

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