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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: track · dip · game · fine · cue · wind · suit · spell

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fine — all right
  6. spell — letters
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cue — for pool
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spell — magic
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. game — a match
  16. cue — a hint
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cue — a signal
  20. suit — clothes
  21. spell — a short time
  22. game — wild animals
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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