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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. track — a path
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bank — for money
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — of law
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spell — letters
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. court — of a king
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. track — a song
  23. court — for sport
  24. pound — a weight

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