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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. club — for dancing
  3. track — a song
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. club — for golf
  11. present — there
  12. cue — for pool
  13. track — a path
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. club — a group
  17. present — a gift
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cue — a signal
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. present — the time now
  23. last — finally
  24. dip — to sink

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