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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: foot · club · shower · bay · race · mate · pass · cue

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pass — a permit
  6. race — humankind
  7. cue — a hint
  8. club — for golf
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. race — a contest
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. foot — a measure
  16. shower — rain
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mate — a partner
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. club — a group
  21. shower — to wash
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. foot — the bottom

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