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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 116 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: row · cabinet · rule · scale · track · firm · game · wake

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wake — a trail
  6. scale — in music
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. firm — steady
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. row — a line
  13. game — wild animals
  14. track — to keep track
  15. game — a match
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rule — a law
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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