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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.

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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: track · mate · wave · foot · key · kid · present · ball

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. key — in music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. kid — child
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. ball — a great time
  9. track — a song
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. kid — to tease
  14. present — a gift
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mate — to breed
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. present — there
  19. foot — a measure
  20. key — the most important part
  21. present — the time now
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. key — for a lock

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