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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: row · current · mark · racket · lie · track · cue · game

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. track — a song
  4. cue — a hint
  5. row — to paddle
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. track — a path
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — happening now
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mark — a trace
  15. current — electric
  16. mark — a grade
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. current — of water
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. game — a match

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