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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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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: mark · ruler · mine · pound · foot · track · saw · club

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. track — a song
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. club — for golf
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. club — a group
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. saw — the tool
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mark — a grade
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. ruler — a monarch

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