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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cue — a hint
  3. field — for sport
  4. cue — for pool
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. field — a subject
  9. track — a path
  10. field — farmland
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bank — for money
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. band — a music group
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bank — for money

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