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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: safe · roll · tear · track · fall · stock · pound · file

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. track — to keep track
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. file — a document
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stock — goods
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stock — shares
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fall — the season
  20. tear — from crying
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. file — a tool
  24. safe — a strongbox

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