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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: game · cell · trunk · cue · track · mark · patient · snap

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cell — a phone
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mark — a trace
  5. track — a song
  6. cue — for pool
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cue — a signal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. snap — to click
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. game — wild animals
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mark — a grade
  24. game — a match

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