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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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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: rush · season · track · cue · club · hide · stem · court

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. cue — a signal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — of the year
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. track — a path
  9. stem — to come from
  10. season — in sport
  11. club — a group
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. club — for dancing
  17. track — a song
  18. cue — for pool
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. club — for golf
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cue — a hint
  24. track — to keep track

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