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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pop — soda
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pop — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. track — a path
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pop — to visit
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. track — to keep track
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. track — a song
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fork — in a road
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wind — moving air

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