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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 116 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: mine · firm · bowl · root · wake · track · swing · racket

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. swing — music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. firm — a company
  20. root — of a plant
  21. track — a path
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bowl — a dish

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