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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · pound · dip · track · kick · bark

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bark — to shout
  16. kick — in football
  17. foot — a measure
  18. kick — with a leg

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