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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · cue · track · band · stem · roll · bear · bark

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. band — a ring
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. roll — a list
  8. bark — to shout
  9. band — a music group
  10. track — a path
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cue — a signal

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