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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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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: stem · march · bat · cue · racket · rule · race · pit

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rule — government
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. race — humankind
  10. march — the month
  11. pit — a hole
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. march — music
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. race — a contest
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. march — the month

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