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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: snap · dip · pound · track · suit · bowl · file · rule

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pound — a weight
  5. file — a document
  6. rule — a law
  7. suit — to fit
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rule — government
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. snap — to click
  24. dip — to sink

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