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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: deal · pound · track · saw · pop · tube · fork · foot

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pop — music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. tube — the underground
  6. track — a song
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. saw — the tool
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fork — in a road
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. deal — to handle
  14. foot — a measure
  15. tube — a container
  16. pop — to visit
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. track — a path
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pop — soda

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