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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: track · wake · foot · kick · lean · cell · squash · ball

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. kick — in football
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cell — a phone
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. track — to keep track
  11. foot — a measure
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cell — in biology
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lean — to bend
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ball — a dance
  20. track — a path
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. lean — thin
  24. ball — a great time

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