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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: content · pound · march · mark · ruler · bass · track · chip

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. track — to keep track
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bass — the fish
  5. track — a song
  6. march — music
  7. chip — for betting
  8. content — happy
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. march — the month
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bass — low music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — a grade
  17. track — a path
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. content — the amount
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mark — a trace

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