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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: track · mark · pound · branch · key · wind · pit · club

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wind — moving air
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pit — in a race
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. track — a path
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pit — a hole
  10. club — a group
  11. key — in music
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. club — for golf
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. club — for dancing
  24. key — for a lock

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