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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. game — a match
  3. firm — steady
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bank — for money
  8. track — a path
  9. row — to paddle
  10. spring — the season
  11. firm — decided
  12. spring — a coil
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bank — of a river
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. firm — a company
  21. pound — a weight
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bank — for money
  24. spring — of water

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