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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: rash · mark · fine · squash · track · hand · bay · race

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mark — a trace
  3. race — a contest
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fine — all right
  6. rash — hasty
  7. hand — in cards
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hand — help
  14. fine — high quality
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. race — humankind
  23. track — a path
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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