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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 · kick · bowl · club · bound · track · march · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. march — music
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. cue — a hint
  9. club — a group
  10. bound — tied together
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kick — in football
  15. club — for golf
  16. track — a path
  17. mate — a friend
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. track — a song
  24. march — the month

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