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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. staff — employees
  2. pop — soda
  3. field — farmland
  4. bank — for money
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. track — a path
  7. key — for a lock
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bank — of a river
  10. key — in music
  11. bank — for money
  12. field — a subject
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pop — to visit
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pop — music
  19. staff — a stick
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pound — a weight
  22. field — for sport
  23. pound — for dogs
  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