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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 120 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. club — a group
  3. track — to keep track
  4. present — there
  5. cue — for pool
  6. object — an aim
  7. drill — a practice
  8. present — the time now
  9. object — a thing
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. club — for dancing
  12. content — happy
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. club — for golf
  20. present — a gift
  21. cue — a hint
  22. object — to protest
  23. drill — army training
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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