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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: band · track · mug · mark · cue · hide · net · bat

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. band — a ring
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bat — the animal
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — for pool
  10. track — a path
  11. mug — a face
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mug — a cup
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. net — after costs
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. mark — a grade
  18. track — a song
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. mug — to rob
  23. band — a music group
  24. net — for catching

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