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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 · racket · cue · race · bound · season · object · pit

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. season — of the year
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. race — humankind
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cue — a signal
  10. season — in sport
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bound — obliged
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. object — an aim
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bound — certain
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bound — tied together

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