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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rush · mark · mouse · trunk · track · row · capital

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. row — a line
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. capital — a city
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mark — a grade
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. capital — money
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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