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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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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: cue · bat · lash · race · rule · club · leaves · suit

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. club — for golf
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. race — a contest
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. race — the arms race
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rule — a law
  13. suit — to fit
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rule — government
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bat — the animal
  24. race — humankind

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