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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: mug · pound · stick · root · squash · bank · tear · track

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. squash — the sport
  4. track — a song
  5. root — of a word
  6. mug — to rob
  7. track — a path
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mug — a face
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bank — for money
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mug — a cup
  15. root — the cause
  16. tear — from crying
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tear — to rip
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bank — of a river
  24. track — to keep track

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