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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cue — for pool
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wind — moving air
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. mark — a grade
  10. net — for catching
  11. charge — a price
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. charge — in control
  14. net — in sport
  15. cue — a hint
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cue — a signal
  18. net — after costs
  19. charge — electricity
  20. deal — to handle
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wind — to turn a key

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