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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. charge — a price
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. race — a contest
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rush — hurry
  11. race — humankind
  12. capital — a city
  13. charge — in control
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ball — a dance
  16. track — a song
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. race — the arms race
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pound — a weight
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. capital — money

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