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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · cue · mug · rest · track · jam · mine · craft

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rest — a break
  6. craft — boats
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cue — for pool
  12. track — a path
  13. mine — for digging
  14. craft — a skill
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mug — a face
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cue — a signal
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. mug — to rob
  21. row — to paddle
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. row — a line
  24. rest — what's left

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