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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: race · pop · ground · board · pit · season · lash · cue

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. race — humankind
  3. cue — a signal
  4. season — of the year
  5. race — the arms race
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pop — soda
  8. season — in sport
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. ground — the earth
  13. race — a contest
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pop — music
  18. board — to get on
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pit — in a race
  22. ground — a position
  23. board — a committee
  24. pit — a hole

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