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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 120 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: pound · row · pit · firm · cap · craft · track · key

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. firm — a company
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cap — a lid
  5. firm — decided
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pound — a weight
  8. row — to paddle
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. firm — steady
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. key — for a lock
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. pit — in a race
  17. craft — boats
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cap — of ice
  24. row — a line

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