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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: pop · ruler · game · track · cue · plane · branch · cold

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. game — wild animals
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pop — music
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cold — an illness
  8. pop — to visit
  9. track — a path
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pop — soda
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. track — a song
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. game — a match
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cue — a hint
  23. branch — a division
  24. cue — for pool

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