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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · mark · bear · scale · tear · row · mug · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mug — a face
  4. track — a path
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. row — a line
  8. mark — a grade
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. scale — in music
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. track — a song
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mark — a trace
  21. tear — to rip
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mug — a cup
  24. scale — size or range

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