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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.

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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 · kick · cue · ground · chair · ruler · object · bank

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bank — for money
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. object — an aim
  6. race — the arms race
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cue — for pool
  10. object — a thing
  11. cue — a hint
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ground — a position
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. chair — a leader
  21. object — to protest
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. kick — in football

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