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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. track — a path
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. race — humankind
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bass — low music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. race — a contest
  17. bass — the fish
  18. club — a group
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pound — a weight
  22. race — the arms race
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. track — a song

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