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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 · bay · band · fork · track · arm · ball · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cue — for pool
  5. band — a ring
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. band — a music group
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. ball — a great time
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. track — to keep track
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cue — a hint

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