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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 · ground · track · game · lie · file · swing · current

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. file — a document
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. current — of water
  7. file — a tool
  8. swing — to play on
  9. game — a match
  10. lie — to recline
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. track — a song
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ground — a position
  19. track — to keep track
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. track — a path
  24. ground — the earth

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