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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: race · present · fine · cue · nail · bay · pound · dip

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. present — a gift
  5. cue — a hint
  6. present — the time now
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. present — there
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cue — a signal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. race — a contest
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. race — the arms race
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. race — humankind

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