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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. can — a tin
  9. game — a match
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — to keep track
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ball — a great time

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