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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bank — of a river
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bank — for money
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bank — for money
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cue — for pool
  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