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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
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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: scale · pit · track · dip · wound · deal · mouse · row

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. track — a path
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. row — a line
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wound — an injury
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pit — in a race
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wound — an injury
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. track — a song
  18. pit — a hole
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. track — to keep track
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mouse — the animal

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