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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: pop · leaves · track · hide · branch · pass · cue · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. track — a song
  5. branch — a division
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cue — a signal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. row — to paddle
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pop — music
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. track — a path
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pop — soda
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. row — a line

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