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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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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: perch · cue · row · rule · date · track · rest · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cue — for pool
  4. track — a song
  5. rule — a law
  6. date — the fruit
  7. track — to keep track
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. row — to paddle
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. track — a path
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rule — government
  16. row — a line
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pound — a weight
  20. rest — a break
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rule — to rule out

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