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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: band · track · cue · bulb · rule · fork · clip · racket

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. clip — for paper
  3. rule — government
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cue — for pool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cue — a hint
  19. band — a ring
  20. clip — a video
  21. bulb — for light
  22. track — a song
  23. band — a music group
  24. cue — a signal

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