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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: stand · land · spell · race · lie · cue · season · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. season — of the year
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cue — a signal
  5. spell — magic
  6. race — humankind
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. land — to come down
  10. cue — a hint
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. race — a contest
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — the arms race
  18. land — ground
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lie — to recline
  21. land — a country
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spell — letters
  24. cue — for pool

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