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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. club — for golf
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rush — hurry
  10. club — a group
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — the season
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pit — in a race
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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