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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: track · mate · chip · cue · mine · perch · board · vault

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. track — to keep track
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cue — a hint
  10. board — to get on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — for pool
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chip — to eat
  18. track — a path
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. perch — the fish
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. board — a committee
  23. mate — a partner
  24. track — a song

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