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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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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: stick · cue · kid · cap · track · ruler · perch · kick

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cap — a hat
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — to keep track
  12. kick — in football
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. track — a song
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kid — to tease
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kid — child
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cue — for pool

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