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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: stand · wound · cue · race · track · pitch · rest · rule

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. race — humankind
  5. rule — a law
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rule — government
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cue — a signal
  17. race — a contest
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. track — a path
  21. rest — a break
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. track — a song

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