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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 116 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. track — a path
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. club — for golf
  10. can — a tin
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. file — a tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. club — for dancing
  17. track — a song
  18. file — a document
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. track — to keep track
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. club — a group
  24. pound — to hit hard

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