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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: mate · perch · wound · content · fan · race · game · cue

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mate — a friend
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. cue — for pool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. content — happy
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. game — a match
  13. wound — an injury
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. content — the amount
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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