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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 116 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: content · lash · race · drill · key · cue · racket · bat

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cue — for pool
  6. drill — the tool
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. key — the most important part
  10. drill — army training
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. content — the amount
  13. race — a contest
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. content — happy
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bat — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. race — humankind
  24. key — in music

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