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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: lash · cue · land · stick · track · bat · scale · game

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. cue — a signal
  4. track — a path
  5. land — a country
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. track — a song
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. land — to come down
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. land — ground
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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