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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: date · cue · last · fall · mate · track · suit · mouse

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. last — final
  3. suit — to fit
  4. track — to keep track
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mate — a friend
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cue — a hint
  10. last — to go on
  11. cue — a signal
  12. track — a song
  13. mate — to breed
  14. track — a path
  15. fall — to drop
  16. last — finally
  17. date — the fruit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fall — the season

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