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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 · pound · march · fall · season · hide · rock · track

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fall — the season
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. season — in sport
  5. march — the month
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cue — for pool
  8. march — the month
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. track — a song
  13. fall — to drop
  14. march — music
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cue — a hint
  19. season — of the year
  20. cue — a signal
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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