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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: squash · net · present · bore · hand · stand · track · cue

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. stand — to bear
  5. squash — to crush
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. cue — a hint
  9. track — to keep track
  10. net — in sport
  11. bore — to drill
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. net — for catching
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. present — there
  17. net — after costs
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. track — a song
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bore — to tire
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stand — on your feet

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