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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: racket · cue · rest · band · race · arm · face · jam

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. race — a contest
  3. rest — a break
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cue — for pool
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cue — a signal
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. face — to confront
  15. rest — what's left
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rest — what's left
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. racket — for tennis

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