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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bank — for money
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. track — a path
  6. pop — to visit
  7. spell — magic
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — a song
  10. spell — letters
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bank — for money
  13. pop — music
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pop — soda
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. game — wild animals
  24. spell — a short time

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