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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: season · chair · rule · race · perch · mark · cue · pound

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cue — a signal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rule — government
  7. cue — a hint
  8. season — in sport
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. season — of the year
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. race — humankind
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rule — a law

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