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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. squash — the sport
  6. vault — a safe
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fall — the season
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mine — for digging
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spell — letters
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cue — a signal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. track — a path
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cue — a hint
  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