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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: last · dip · roll · firm · stand · bore · track · scale

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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 — a path
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. firm — decided
  4. last — to go on
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bore — to tire
  7. firm — steady
  8. track — to keep track
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. last — final
  13. bore — to drill
  14. firm — a company
  15. scale — in music
  16. stand — to bear
  17. roll — a cake
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. track — a song
  20. roll — a list
  21. last — finally
  22. dip — to sink
  23. stand — for spectators
  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