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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: row · fan · pit · track · pound · nail · chip · saw

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chip — for betting
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — a song
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pound — a weight
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. track — a path
  24. row — to paddle

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