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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. track — a path
  3. object — to protest
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pop — soda
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. row — to paddle
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wake — a trail
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pop — to visit
  13. object — an aim
  14. row — a line
  15. pop — music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. object — a thing
  20. track — a song
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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