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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. key — in music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. last — to go on
  10. key — the most important part
  11. tube — a container
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. last — finally
  17. pound — a weight
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. last — final
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pop — to visit
  24. key — for a lock

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