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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: track · leaves · land · bore · sharp · rock · pound · bowl

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. land — a country
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bore — to tire
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pound — a weight
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. track — to keep track
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. track — a path
  13. rock — music
  14. land — to come down
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. land — ground
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. track — a song
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pound — for dogs

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