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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pound — a weight
  6. season — in sport
  7. mug — a face
  8. track — a path
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. march — music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. current — happening now
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. current — electric
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. march — the month
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bulb — for light
  20. current — of water
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. march — the month
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. season — of the year

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