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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. ground — a position
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. track — a path
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bass — low music
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bass — the fish
  18. plane — a tool
  19. track — a song
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. ground — crushed
  23. race — a contest
  24. track — to keep track

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