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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: deal · fine · mine · bore · ball · race · field · cue

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. race — the arms race
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. field — a subject
  5. fine — all right
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cue — for pool
  8. field — for sport
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. race — a contest
  12. field — farmland
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. race — humankind
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bore — to drill
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ball — a great time

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