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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · shower · pound · can · track · key · ruler · mark

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mark — a grade
  6. key — for a lock
  7. shower — rain
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. track — a path
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. can — a tin
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. shower — to wash
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mark — a trace
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mine — for digging
  24. key — in music

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