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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: bear · rock · racket · branch · wake · foot · roll · track

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. track — a song
  7. rock — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. roll — a cake
  17. branch — a division
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rock — a stone
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. foot — a measure
  22. roll — a list
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. foot — part of the body

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