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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: jam · pound · board · wind · fall · track · staff · mate

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. mate — a friend
  4. track — to keep track
  5. staff — employees
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. track — a song
  8. board — to get on
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pound — a weight
  11. staff — employees
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. track — a path
  17. board — a committee
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fall — the season

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