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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. track — a path
  2. march — the month
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rest — a break
  8. face — to confront
  9. rest — what's left
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rest — what's left
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. face — to point toward
  15. track — a song
  16. face — part of the head
  17. march — the month
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. march — music
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bark — of a tree
  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