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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: key · bear · mate · dip · row · track · kid · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. track — a path
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bear — the animal
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. key — in music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kid — child
  14. key — the most important part
  15. row — to paddle
  16. key — for a lock
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. dip — to sink
  20. kid — to tease
  21. row — a line
  22. track — a song
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rock — a stone

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