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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. track — to keep track
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pound — a weight
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — a path
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. club — for golf
  10. bank — of a river
  11. content — happy
  12. club — a group
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. track — a song
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. club — for dancing
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. nail — for a hammer

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