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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: lie · track · stock · bark · object · plane · cue · band

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. track — a path
  6. cue — a hint
  7. band — a ring
  8. cue — for pool
  9. object — an aim
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stock — shares
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. object — to protest
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stock — goods
  18. plane — a tool
  19. lie — to recline
  20. track — a song
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. object — a thing
  23. band — a music group
  24. lie — an untruth

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