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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.

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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: pound · current · fall · track · object · pass · mouse · prune

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. current — of water
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. object — a thing
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fall — to drop
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. track — a song
  18. fall — the season
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. track — a path
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. prune — the fruit

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