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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 · suit · calf · cue · clip · deal · swing · season

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. suit — in cards
  2. swing — to play on
  3. race — the arms race
  4. swing — in golf
  5. suit — to fit
  6. race — a contest
  7. season — of the year
  8. cue — for pool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — for paper
  13. suit — clothes
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. swing — music
  17. cue — a signal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. season — in sport
  20. clip — a video
  21. cue — a hint
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. season — to add flavour
  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