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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: game · cue · racket · mark · spring · track · bore · suit

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. spring — the season
  5. track — a path
  6. bore — to tire
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mark — a grade
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spring — of water
  13. bore — to drill
  14. suit — clothes
  15. game — wild animals
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cue — for pool
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. suit — in cards
  24. track — a song

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