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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: pound · rock · kid · season · cue · rush · club · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. season — in sport
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rock — a stone
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. club — a group
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rock — music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. club — for golf
  16. rush — hurry
  17. track — a path
  18. cue — a signal
  19. season — of the year
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cue — for pool
  24. kid — child

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