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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: last · scale · stem · row · toast · mouse · track · ball

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. ball — a dance
  7. track — a path
  8. toast — bread
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. track — to keep track
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. last — final
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. track — a song
  17. last — finally
  18. row — a line
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. last — to go on
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. ball — a round shape

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