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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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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: row · capital · track · bay · deal · wake · wave · stand

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. capital — a city
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. track — a song
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stand — to bear
  12. capital — money
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wake — a trail
  17. row — to paddle
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stand — for spectators

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