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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. root — of a plant
  3. track — a path
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. root — of a word
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. field — farmland
  11. band — a music group
  12. field — a subject
  13. band — a ring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. root — the cause
  17. field — for sport
  18. track — a song
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. track — to keep track
  21. row — to paddle
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. row — a line

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