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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 116 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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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: cold · plane · track · mark · deal · stand · club · mouse

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. track — a path
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — a song
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. club — a group
  15. cold — an illness
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cold — not warm
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. plane — an aircraft

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