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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pop — soda
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hand — help
  12. track — a song
  13. staff — employees
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pop — music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. track — a path
  20. staff — employees
  21. face — to confront
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. face — part of the head

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