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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: cue · firm · trunk · scale · drill · bear · dip · race

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. scale — size or range
  6. drill — a practice
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. race — humankind
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cue — for pool
  11. scale — in music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cue — a hint
  14. drill — army training
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. drill — the tool
  18. firm — a company
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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