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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: court · track · hide · key · season · scale · pound · leaves

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. court — of law
  4. key — the most important part
  5. season — of the year
  6. track — a path
  7. pound — a weight
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. track — a song
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. key — for a lock
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. scale — in music
  18. court — of a king
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. key — in music
  21. season — in sport
  22. court — for sport
  23. track — to keep track
  24. hide — to keep secret

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