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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: track · trunk · stand · row · date · net · cue · mine

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. net — in sport
  5. track — a path
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. net — for catching
  11. stand — to bear
  12. net — after costs
  13. cue — a signal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. date — the fruit
  19. row — a line
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cue — for pool
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cue — a hint

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