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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mug — a face
  5. fork — in a road
  6. track — a path
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. lean — to bend
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lean — thin
  19. rest — what's left
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mug — a cup
  23. swing — music
  24. rest — a break

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