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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. suit — clothes
  3. track — a path
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cue — a hint
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. track — a song
  10. wound — an injury
  11. suit — in cards
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cue — a signal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wound — an injury
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cue — for pool
  20. drill — army training
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. drill — the tool
  23. dip — to sink
  24. racket — for tennis

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