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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. track — to keep track
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. game — a match
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. game — wild animals
  10. swing — to play on
  11. land — to come down
  12. pound — a weight
  13. march — music
  14. track — a path
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. track — a song
  19. march — the month
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. march — the month
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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