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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 124 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: racket · rash · wound · deal · rock · wake · track · scale

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. track — a path
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rock — a stone
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. scale — in music
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rash — a series
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wound — an injury
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. track — a song
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wake — a trail
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rock — music
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. track — to keep track
  24. scale — size or range

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