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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: present · scale · wake · rash · rock · cabinet · root · track

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rash — a series
  3. wake — a trail
  4. root — of a word
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. present — there
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. track — a song
  19. present — the time now
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rock — a stone
  23. track — a path
  24. scale — in music

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