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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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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: firm · stick · perch · wake · track · mouse · root · clip

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. clip — for paper
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. root — the cause
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. firm — decided
  16. clip — a video
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. root — of a word
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. track — a path
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. track — a song

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