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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pound — a weight
  8. track — a path
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. field — a subject
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a great time
  16. field — farmland
  17. track — a song
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. field — for sport
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ball — a dance

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