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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · cap · track · land · tear · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. suit — clothes
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cue — a hint
  8. land — a country
  9. track — to keep track
  10. tear — from crying
  11. land — to come down
  12. tear — to rip
  13. cue — for pool
  14. track — a path
  15. land — ground
  16. track — a song
  17. cap — of ice
  18. suit — in cards

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