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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 116 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: hand · rock · track · firm · court · chip · bear · pound

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. track — to keep track
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — of law
  8. chip — to eat
  9. hand — help
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. firm — decided
  16. rock — music
  17. pound — a weight
  18. track — a path
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. hand — in cards

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