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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. track — a song
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rock — music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fall — the season
  13. track — a path
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. track — to keep track
  17. scale — in music
  18. fall — to drop

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