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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. snap — to click
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. track — a song
  16. game — a match
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. season — of the year
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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