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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: cue · bay · race · net · bass · deal · swing · cabinet

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. swing — in golf
  8. race — a contest
  9. deal — to handle
  10. net — in sport
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — the fish
  19. race — humankind
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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