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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 124 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: fine · arm · pit · bat · race · dip · stock · cue

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. race — humankind
  3. cue — a signal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cue — for pool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stock — goods
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stock — shares
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. race — a contest
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cue — a hint

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