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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: cue · race · fine · ground · cold · firm · suit · cell

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fine — high quality
  7. firm — a company
  8. cue — for pool
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ground — the earth
  16. race — a contest
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cell — in biology
  19. firm — decided
  20. race — humankind
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cell — a phone
  23. ground — a position
  24. firm — steady

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