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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wound — an injury
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. content — the amount
  6. object — a thing
  7. rock — music
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. season — of the year
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rock — a stone
  15. track — a path
  16. object — to protest
  17. cue — for pool
  18. object — an aim
  19. content — happy
  20. season — in sport
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. track — a song

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