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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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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: wake · stick · row · dip · bat · perch · pass · track

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. track — a path
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. row — a line
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. row — to paddle
  15. track — a song
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. dip — to sink

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