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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: cue · foot · pit · plane · saw · season · spell · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. saw — the tool
  3. season — in sport
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. pit — in a race
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cue — a hint
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. season — of the year
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. plane — an aircraft

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