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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: racket · safe · cue · can · rule · stem · bay · race

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. race — humankind
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cue — a hint
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rule — government
  14. stem — to come from
  15. can — a tin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cue — for pool
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rule — a law
  24. safe — out of danger

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