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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bass · staff · cue · row · game · can · track · season

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. can — a tin
  6. bass — low music
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. season — in sport
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. staff — employees
  14. bass — the fish
  15. row — a line
  16. track — to keep track
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. staff — a stick
  19. row — to paddle
  20. can — a tin
  21. cue — a signal
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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