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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: mark · track · rock · fall · date · last · wave · racket

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rock — music
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. last — to go on
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. last — finally
  17. mark — a trace
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. date — the fruit
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fall — to drop
  22. last — final
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. date — on the calendar

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