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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: suit · cue · mate · kick · mine · band · object · track

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. track — to keep track
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. suit — to fit
  5. band — a music group
  6. object — to protest
  7. kick — in football
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. track — a song
  10. band — a ring
  11. mate — to breed
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cue — a hint
  16. object — a thing
  17. suit — in cards
  18. track — a path
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cue — a signal
  21. object — an aim
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. suit — clothes

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