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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: pit · band · mate · press · season · cue · cabinet · race

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. season — in sport
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. race — a contest
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cue — a hint
  9. race — humankind
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mate — a partner
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cue — for pool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pit — a hole
  18. press — to push
  19. band — a music group
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. season — of the year

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