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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. land — to come down
  5. mark — a grade
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. current — electric
  8. track — a path
  9. land — ground
  10. current — happening now
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. land — a country
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — of water
  18. pound — a weight

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