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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: can · bound · row · rule · key · track · fan · pound

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. track — a song
  5. key — for a lock
  6. can — to be able to
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bound — obliged
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. key — in music
  14. can — a tin
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rule — a law
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. key — the most important part
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. track — a path
  24. rule — government

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