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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mine — for digging
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lean — thin
  12. club — a group
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. drill — the tool
  15. club — for golf
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. drill — army training
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. ground — crushed
  20. track — a song
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. track — a path
  24. ground — a position

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