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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: cue · foot · field · toast · bass · plane · fall · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cue — a signal
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. foot — a measure
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. track — a path
  9. field — for sport
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cue — for pool
  13. field — a subject
  14. toast — bread
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fall — to drop
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. field — farmland
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bass — low music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. toast — the most admired

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