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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · suit · fan · cue · present · game · stand · last

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cue — a signal
  6. suit — in cards
  7. present — the time now
  8. stand — to bear
  9. last — finally
  10. race — humankind
  11. suit — to fit
  12. last — to go on
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. race — a contest
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. game — a match
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. suit — clothes
  20. game — wild animals
  21. last — final
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. race — the arms race

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