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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cue — a signal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. ball — a great time
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cue — for pool
  16. swing — music
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. board — a committee
  22. key — in music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. board — to get on

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