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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. track — a path
  6. mark — a grade
  7. track — a song
  8. net — for catching
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. row — a line
  15. pound — a weight
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. net — after costs
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. row — to paddle
  22. net — in sport
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mark — a trace

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