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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: track · fork · kick · bank · race · saw · cabinet · cue

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. cue — a signal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. bank — for money
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. kick — in football
  12. track — a path
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. race — humankind
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. track — a song
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bank — for money
  24. saw — the tool

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