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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rock — music
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. firm — decided
  7. track — a song
  8. cap — a lid
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. last — final
  11. toast — bread
  12. firm — steady
  13. last — finally
  14. firm — a company
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cue — for pool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. last — to go on
  22. track — a path
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. branch — a division

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