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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.

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: wake · chest · racket · rash · track · file · pop · pass

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. file — a document
  3. pop — music
  4. file — a tool
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wake — a trail
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pop — soda
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. track — a path
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rash — a series
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. chest — a box

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