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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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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: ruler · race · bat · rock · pop · wave · track · kick

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. track — a path
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — music
  10. pop — music
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. race — humankind
  14. pop — soda
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. race — the arms race
  18. track — a song
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. race — a contest
  24. rock — a stone

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