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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. spring — of water
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. spring — the season
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cue — a signal
  9. track — a path
  10. cue — a hint
  11. track — a song
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bank — for money
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bank — for money
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  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