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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 116 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: rock · cue · snap · safe · racket · bound · pit · race

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bound — obliged
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cue — a hint
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. snap — to click
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bound — certain
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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