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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bank — for money
  4. cold — an illness
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mark — a trace
  8. track — a song
  9. present — the time now
  10. track — a path
  11. pop — music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — there
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cold — not warm
  19. root — of a word
  20. cue — a signal
  21. track — to keep track
  22. root — the cause
  23. bank — for money
  24. cue — a hint

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