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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ground — the earth
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fine — high quality
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. toast — bread
  17. ground — a position
  18. court — of a king
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. track — a song
  21. fine — all right
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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