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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: track · court · dip · drill · can · staff · field · cue

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. can — a tin
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. cue — for pool
  7. court — for sport
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cue — a signal
  10. field — farmland
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. staff — employees
  13. field — a subject
  14. staff — a stick
  15. track — a song
  16. drill — army training
  17. can — to be able to
  18. track — a path
  19. cue — a hint
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. dip — to sink
  24. field — for sport

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