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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. charge — in control
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. staff — employees
  9. rock — a stone
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. track — a song
  16. rock — music
  17. cue — a hint
  18. charge — a price
  19. track — a path
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cue — for pool

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