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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 116 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. track — a song
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stand — to bear
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bass — low music
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cue — for pool

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