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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. net — after costs
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. charge — in control
  10. present — the time now
  11. charge — electricity
  12. net — in sport
  13. chest — a box
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. charge — a price
  17. chest — of your body
  18. net — for catching
  19. present — there
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. present — a gift
  24. rush — a thrill

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