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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. track — to keep track
  6. object — an aim
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. field — a subject
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rash — a series
  15. object — to protest
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wound — an injury
  19. suit — clothes
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. field — farmland
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. field — for sport

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