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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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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: pop · face · stick · cue · wave · key · track · pit

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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 hint
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pop — music
  10. pit — in a race
  11. track — a path
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pit — a hole
  14. face — to confront
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cue — a signal
  18. face — part of the head
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pop — soda
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pop — to visit
  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