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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. tube — a container
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. spell — magic
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pound — a weight
  9. cue — a hint
  10. track — a song
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cue — for pool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cap — a hat
  18. tube — the underground
  19. track — a path
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. cap — of ice
  24. temple — side of the head

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