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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.

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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 · swing · pass · straw · staff · track · wake · pit

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. staff — employees
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pass — a permit
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. track — a song
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. swing — music
  16. staff — employees
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pit — in a race
  23. track — a path
  24. pit — a hole

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