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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. track — a song
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. land — to come down
  5. cue — a hint
  6. press — a publisher
  7. land — ground
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. track — to keep track
  16. land — a country
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. track — a path

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