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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rule — a law
  3. pound — a weight
  4. can — to be able to
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. firm — a company
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. track — a song
  12. firm — decided
  13. rule — government
  14. can — a tin
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. firm — steady
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. can — a tin

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