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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: cue · ground · chest · band · mate · track · content · club

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mate — a friend
  3. chest — a box
  4. content — happy
  5. track — a path
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. band — a music group
  12. ground — a position
  13. mate — a partner
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cue — a hint
  16. club — a group
  17. content — the amount
  18. chest — of your body
  19. band — a ring
  20. chest — of your body
  21. track — a song
  22. mate — to breed
  23. club — for golf
  24. ground — crushed

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