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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · track · wave · scale · kick · court

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rock — music
  3. court — for sport
  4. track — a path
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. track — to keep track
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. scale — in music
  11. track — a song
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rock — a stone
  14. kick — in football
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. court — of a king
  17. scale — size or range
  18. court — of law

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