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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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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: track · firm · arm · fork · pound · rock · lash · cell

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. firm — decided
  5. track — a path
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fork — in a road
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pound — a weight
  16. track — a song
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rock — music
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pound — to hit hard

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