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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: wave · rush · pitch · ball · scale · track · lash · rock

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. track — a path
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pitch — completely
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. track — a song
  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