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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 · cue · rush · bound · wind · bay · march · net

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. track — a song
  3. cue — a hint
  4. track — a path
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. net — after costs
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. net — in sport
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cue — a signal
  18. march — the month
  19. net — for catching
  20. bound — certain
  21. cue — for pool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rush — a thrill

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