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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: foot · fall · race · cue · ball · craft · tube · track

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cue — a signal
  3. race — the arms race
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cue — for pool
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. race — humankind
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. race — a contest
  11. tube — a container
  12. fall — to drop
  13. craft — boats
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cue — a hint
  17. craft — a skill
  18. track — a path
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fall — the season
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. foot — a measure

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