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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: leaves · race · mine · track · cue · pit · arm · plane

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. race — humankind
  3. track — to keep track
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cue — a hint
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. track — a path
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pit — in a race
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pit — a hole
  21. race — a contest
  22. track — a song
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mine — for digging

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