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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bound · leaves · bay · track · kid · degree · row · scale

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. row — to paddle
  3. kid — to tease
  4. track — a song
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. degree — temperature
  9. scale — size or range
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bound — certain
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. track — a path
  16. bound — tied together
  17. degree — from a university
  18. scale — in music
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. kid — child
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. row — a line
  24. bound — obliged

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