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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. bank — for money
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. track — a song
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pop — music
  18. track — a path
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — to visit
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. track — to keep track

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