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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. track — a song
  5. club — for golf
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stock — shares
  10. fork — in a road
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. kick — in football
  14. club — a group
  15. mine — for digging
  16. snap — to click
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stock — goods
  20. track — a path
  21. pound — a weight
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. kick — 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