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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 120 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: race · track · club · saw · pop · mark · cue · lie

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. club — a group
  5. race — the arms race
  6. cue — a hint
  7. saw — the tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. pop — soda
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pop — to visit
  13. track — a song
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cue — a signal
  17. race — humankind
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cue — for pool
  20. track — a path
  21. pop — music
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. saw — the tool

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