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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · track · pound · ball · rash · kick · nail · saw

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rash — a series
  3. saw — the tool
  4. club — a group
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. kick — in football
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rash — hasty
  11. club — for dancing
  12. track — a song
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pound — a weight
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. club — for golf

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