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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 124 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. track — a song
  3. bound — certain
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. swing — music
  9. track — a path
  10. bound — tied together
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. swing — to play on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pass — a permit
  21. object — to protest
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mine — for digging

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