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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: branch · rest · track · date · cue · bore · row · pass

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cue — a signal
  4. track — a path
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bore — to tire
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bore — to drill
  12. branch — a division
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. date — the fruit
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cue — for pool
  19. row — a line
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. track — a song
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pass — a permit

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