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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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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: stand · last · mouse · nail · track · roll · pound · pitcher

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. track — to keep track
  3. last — finally
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — a song
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. roll — a list
  9. last — final
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. track — a path
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. last — to go on
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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