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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: pound · club · pass · firm · track · root · spell · chest

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. spell — magic
  3. pound — a weight
  4. root — of a word
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. spell — letters
  7. track — a path
  8. club — a group
  9. firm — steady
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. root — the cause
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. firm — a company
  19. track — a song
  20. spell — a short time
  21. chest — a box
  22. root — of a plant
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chest — of your body

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