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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. pound — a weight
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stand — to bear
  10. ground — a position
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rock — music
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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