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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 124 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: rush · cue · mate · land · fine · swing · track · dip

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. fine — high quality
  3. track — to keep track
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fine — all right
  6. track — a path
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. land — a country
  16. swing — music
  17. track — a song
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. land — ground
  21. mate — to breed
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cue — a signal

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