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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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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: object · wake · cue · suit · cabinet · march · bear · race

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. race — a contest
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. race — the arms race
  6. suit — to fit
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wake — a trail
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. object — to protest
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. march — music
  24. race — humankind

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