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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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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 · bark · stand · saw · track · bound · rush · jam

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cue — for pool
  8. track — to keep track
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. track — a path
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. track — a song
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. stand — to bear
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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