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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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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: leaves · pound · stem · swing · snap · stick · march · track

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. swing — music
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. swing — in golf
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. track — a path
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. march — the month
  14. track — a song
  15. stem — to come from
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — the month
  19. pound — a weight
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. march — music

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