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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bark — to shout
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. field — for sport
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. field — a subject
  8. pound — a weight
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. content — the amount
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pass — a permit
  14. field — farmland
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. charge — a price
  19. vault — a safe
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. charge — in control
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. content — happy

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