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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: row · net · bark · mouse · scale · track · lie · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. scale — in music
  3. net — in sport
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bark — to shout
  7. scale — size or range
  8. row — a line
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. track — to keep track
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. scale — for weighing

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