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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. ground — crushed
  2. fall — to drop
  3. firm — decided
  4. chip — to eat
  5. ground — a position
  6. track — a path
  7. land — ground
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. land — to come down
  10. track — a song
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fall — the season
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fall — to drop
  19. land — a country
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. track — to keep track
  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