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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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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: mate · suit · race · court · snap · cue · last · racket

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. race — humankind
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. race — a contest
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cue — a hint
  7. last — finally
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mate — to breed
  10. last — final
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cue — a signal
  17. snap — to click
  18. last — to go on
  19. suit — clothes
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mate — a friend
  22. race — the arms race
  23. suit — to fit
  24. court — for sport

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