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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. clip — a video
  4. track — a path
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pound — a weight
  10. face — to confront
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. swing — music
  13. track — a song
  14. scale — size or range
  15. key — in music
  16. face — to point toward
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stand — to bear
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. face — part of the head
  22. clip — for paper
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. swing — to play on

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