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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 116 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: straw · racket · track · can · rule · fine · pass · cue

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rule — a law
  3. fine — high quality
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. can — to be able to
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rule — government
  9. fine — all right
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. cue — a signal
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pass — to succeed

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