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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. track — to keep track
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wake — a trail
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. track — a path
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bass — low music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bass — the fish
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. track — a song
  24. hide — animal skin

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