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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 124 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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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: jam · court · wake · rash · row · mouse · deal · track

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. track — a song
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. court — of a king
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. track — a path
  11. deal — to handle
  12. court — for sport
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. court — of law
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rash — a series
  20. row — to paddle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rash — hasty
  23. row — a line
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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