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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 · track · mug · object · leaves · perch · current · deal

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. track — to keep track
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. current — electric
  7. object — an aim
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. object — to protest
  10. mug — a face
  11. cue — a hint
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. object — a thing
  15. cue — for pool
  16. deal — to handle
  17. track — a path
  18. mug — a cup
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cue — a signal
  22. current — of water
  23. track — a song
  24. current — happening now

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