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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tube — the underground
  5. staff — employees
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pound — a weight
  8. tube — a container
  9. current — of water
  10. fall — to drop
  11. club — for golf
  12. current — electric
  13. ball — a dance
  14. current — happening now
  15. track — a song
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. staff — employees
  21. club — a group
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. tube — in a tire

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