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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cue — for pool
  5. object — an aim
  6. cue — a signal
  7. club — for golf
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. object — a thing
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. chest — a box
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chest — of your body
  19. object — to protest
  20. track — a path
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. march — the month
  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