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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · pound · track · bark · date · tube · pass · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bark — to shout
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. tube — a container
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. row — a line
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pound — a weight
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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