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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 120 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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. track — a path
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. tear — to rip
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. key — for a lock
  13. tear — from crying
  14. key — the most important part
  15. march — the month
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. key — in music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rock — a stone
  21. march — music
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pound — to hit hard

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