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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. court — of law
  3. rule — government
  4. track — a song
  5. drill — the tool
  6. court — of a king
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spring — the season
  9. rock — music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. pound — a weight
  15. drill — army training
  16. spring — a coil
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rule — a law
  19. court — for sport
  20. key — in music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. spring — of water

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