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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: season · rock · suit · cue · pitcher · race · calf · file

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. race — the arms race
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rock — music
  5. file — a tool
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. season — in sport
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. file — a document
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cue — a signal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rock — a stone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. season — of the year
  24. calf — a young animal

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