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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 · net · scale · present · march · staff · rush

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. march — music
  3. scale — in music
  4. cue — a hint
  5. present — a gift
  6. staff — employees
  7. race — the arms race
  8. present — the time now
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. scale — size or range
  12. staff — employees
  13. march — the month
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. race — a contest
  16. present — there
  17. cue — a signal
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rush — hurry
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. net — after costs
  24. march — the month

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