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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 120 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: pound · craft · dip · scale · mark · game · mate · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. scale — in music
  3. game — a match
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mate — a friend
  10. game — wild animals
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mate — a partner
  18. dip — to sink
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. track — a song
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. track — a path
  24. mate — to breed

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