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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cap — a lid
  4. band — a ring
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. track — a path
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bank — for money
  12. track — a song
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. band — a music group
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fine — all right

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