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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
468
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: perch · wake · track · rash · foot · kick · rock · ball

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. perch — the fish
  3. ball — a dance
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rash — hasty
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rash — a series
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. kick — in football
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rock — music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rock — to move gently

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