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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. track — a path
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. rest — a break
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. row — to paddle
  10. game — a match
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. row — a line
  24. pound — a weight

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