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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: race · rule · pop · cue · leaves · content · season · wake

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. race — humankind
  9. cue — for pool
  10. season — in sport
  11. race — a contest
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. wake — a trail
  15. content — happy
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. content — the amount
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pop — to visit
  22. season — of the year
  23. race — the arms race
  24. season — to add flavour

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