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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: shower · lean · pit · rock · race · wake · track · racket

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. race — a contest
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — humankind
  5. lean — thin
  6. wake — a trail
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rock — music
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pit — a hole
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rock — a stone
  13. shower — rain
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pit — in a race
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. race — the arms race
  21. lean — to bend
  22. track — a path
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. racket — a loud noise

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