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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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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: mug · bark · cue · race · suit · land · row · wind

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. land — a country
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mug — a cup
  5. row — to paddle
  6. land — to come down
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. suit — in cards
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. suit — clothes
  12. race — humankind
  13. cue — for pool
  14. row — a line
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. land — ground
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mug — to rob
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mug — a face
  22. race — a contest
  23. cue — a hint
  24. suit — to fit

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