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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 120 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: ball · scale · row · track · wake · charge · bat · object

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ball — a dance
  3. object — a thing
  4. charge — a price
  5. scale — size or range
  6. object — an aim
  7. charge — in control
  8. object — to protest
  9. ball — a great time
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. scale — in music
  14. track — to keep track
  15. row — a line
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. track — a song
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bat — the animal

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