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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 · mate · track · object · arm · key · last · racket

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. object — a thing
  3. key — for a lock
  4. object — to protest
  5. mate — to breed
  6. track — a path
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. last — to go on
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wake — a trail
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. track — a song
  13. object — an aim
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mate — a partner
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. key — the most important part
  22. last — finally
  23. mate — a friend
  24. last — final

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