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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.

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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: bay · rash · straw · stem · scale · can · track · bat

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. track — to keep track
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. can — a tin
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rash — a series
  12. track — a song
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. can — to be able to
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stem — to come from
  24. scale — in music

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