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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: bat · mate · fine · rest · bound · scale · chair · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bound — tied together
  4. scale — in music
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. track — a song
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bound — certain
  11. rest — what's left
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rest — a break
  15. track — a path
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — size or range
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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