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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · wake · row · root · mark · track · hide · fan

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. root — of a word
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. track — a path
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mark — a trace
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. row — a line
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mark — a grade
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wake — a trail
  24. fan — to cool the air

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