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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — a path
  4. pound — a weight
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. content — the amount
  7. track — a song
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bank — for money
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mate — to breed
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mate — a friend
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bank — for money
  24. content — happy

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