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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: staff · date · cue · field · track · mate · saw · squash

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mate — to breed
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. track — a path
  6. saw — the tool
  7. field — farmland
  8. squash — the sport
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — a song
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cue — a signal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mate — a friend
  15. field — a subject
  16. mate — a partner
  17. track — to keep track
  18. squash — to crush
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cue — for pool
  21. date — the fruit
  22. cue — a hint
  23. staff — a stick
  24. field — for sport

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