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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. object — an aim
  4. present — the time now
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. object — to protest
  9. cue — a hint
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. object — a thing
  12. row — a line
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. present — there
  15. toast — bread
  16. wake — a trail
  17. present — a gift
  18. cue — a signal
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cue — for pool
  23. row — to paddle
  24. track — to keep track

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