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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. club — for dancing
  4. track — a song
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. march — the month
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. club — for golf
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. track — a path
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. march — music
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rock — music
  16. club — a group
  17. sharp — clever
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pound — a weight
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. march — the month
  24. sharp — exactly

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