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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mug — a face
  3. row — a line
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. row — to paddle
  8. branch — a division
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mate — a friend
  12. track — a song
  13. drill — army training
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. drill — a practice
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pound — a weight
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mark — a grade
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mate — to breed
  24. track — a path

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