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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.

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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cue — a signal
  3. content — happy
  4. track — a path
  5. club — a group
  6. drill — the tool
  7. present — the time now
  8. club — for dancing
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. cue — a hint
  11. drill — army training
  12. present — there
  13. content — the amount
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cue — for pool
  16. present — a gift
  17. club — for golf
  18. track — to keep track

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