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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rule — government
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rest — a break
  17. last — to go on
  18. mate — a partner
  19. last — finally
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. last — final
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rash — a series
  24. rule — a law

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