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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bank — of a river
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — a subject
  7. snap — to click
  8. cue — for pool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. field — for sport
  11. track — a song
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cue — a signal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — a path
  19. field — farmland
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. spell — magic

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