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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: race · row · saw · trunk · ball · key · track · pitcher

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. race — a contest
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. row — a line
  10. key — the most important part
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. track — to keep track
  13. race — the arms race
  14. key — for a lock
  15. row — to paddle
  16. race — humankind
  17. track — a song
  18. saw — the tool
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. track — a path
  21. ball — a great time
  22. key — in music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ball — a dance

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