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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: mouse · toast · bay · pitcher · arm · row · root · track

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. toast — bread
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. track — a song
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. track — a path
  13. root — of a word
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. row — to paddle
  23. root — the cause
  24. row — a line

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