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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: bat · perch · staff · race · pass · ruler · cue · plane

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. race — a contest
  3. bat — the animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. race — the arms race
  6. plane — a tool
  7. perch — the fish
  8. staff — employees
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. staff — a stick
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cue — a hint
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. race — humankind
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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