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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. track — a song
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fine — all right
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pound — a weight
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. toast — bread
  13. cue — a signal
  14. track — a path
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cue — for pool
  21. spell — letters
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bark — to shout

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