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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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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: pass · track · rule · tear · cue · kick · game · last

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. last — finally
  3. track — to keep track
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rule — government
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rule — a law
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cue — a signal
  11. last — to go on
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cue — for pool
  17. last — final
  18. tear — to rip
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pass — a permit
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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