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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: dip · cue · land · game · fine · bay · bowl · race

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. game — wild animals
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. race — a contest
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cue — a hint
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fine — all right
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. game — a match
  18. cue — a signal
  19. land — to come down
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. race — humankind
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cue — for pool
  24. race — the arms race

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