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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: bat · squash · mug · rock · track · rash · ground · mark

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. track — a song
  3. ground — a position
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rock — music
  10. track — a path
  11. mug — a face
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rock — a stone
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rash — a series
  18. ground — the earth
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mug — a cup
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rash — on the skin

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