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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cue — a hint
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. march — music
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. chip — to eat
  13. track — a path
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. march — the month
  17. track — a song
  18. march — the month
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wax — to grow
  22. game — a match
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cue — for pool

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