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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. track — to keep track
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. club — for dancing
  5. track — a song
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cue — a hint
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. field — farmland
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. track — a path
  14. cue — for pool
  15. field — a subject
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. date — the fruit
  18. club — a group
  19. cue — a signal
  20. ball — a great time
  21. field — for sport
  22. dip — to sink
  23. club — for golf
  24. leaves — lets stay

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