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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cue — a signal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pass — a permit
  5. field — for sport
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. scale — size or range
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cue — a hint
  13. track — to keep track
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. track — a path
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bound — certain
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. row — a line
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cue — for pool
  24. scale — in music

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