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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pass — a permit
  7. season — in sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. dip — to sink
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. track — a song
  15. board — a committee
  16. bank — for money
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — to get on
  21. track — a path
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cue — a signal
  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