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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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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: staff · club · track · row · charge · bore · cue · field

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. staff — a stick
  2. track — a song
  3. cue — for pool
  4. staff — employees
  5. row — a line
  6. bore — to tire
  7. track — a path
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. field — for sport
  10. club — for dancing
  11. field — a subject
  12. staff — employees
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. club — a group
  15. charge — in control
  16. field — farmland
  17. bore — to drill
  18. row — to paddle
  19. track — to keep track
  20. club — for golf
  21. cue — a signal
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  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