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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. track — a path
  3. scale — in music
  4. track — to keep track
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mark — a trace
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. track — a song
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. bass — low music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mark — a grade
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — decided
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. firm — a company
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. firm — steady
  24. row — a line

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