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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: rash · bore · track · leaves · scale · pit · hand · wave

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. track — a path
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pit — a hole
  8. scale — size or range
  9. track — a song
  10. rash — hasty
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. hand — help
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rash — a series
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bore — gave birth

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