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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pound — a weight
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. snap — to click
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. track — a path
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. track — a song
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — a trainer

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