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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. object — an aim
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. game — a match
  9. fine — all right
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pound — a weight
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. stand — to bear
  19. game — wild animals
  20. track — a path
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. track — a song
  24. fine — high quality

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