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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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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. lean — to bend
  3. track — a song
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. track — a path
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bound — certain
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bound — obliged
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lean — thin
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. sharp — clever

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