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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: club · mug · content · track · scale · game · pound · rock

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mug — a cup
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rock — music
  8. track — a path
  9. rock — a stone
  10. content — the amount
  11. game — a match
  12. mug — a face
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. track — a song
  17. club — for dancing
  18. game — wild animals
  19. content — happy
  20. club — a group
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. club — for golf

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