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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · straw · mouse · cue · track · spell · mate · scale

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. spell — letters
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. spell — a short time
  14. scale — size or range
  15. track — a path
  16. scale — in music
  17. spell — magic
  18. cue — a signal
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mouse — the animal

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