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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fall — the season
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. key — the most important part
  9. season — of the year
  10. key — in music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ground — a position
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fall — to drop
  15. season — in sport
  16. track — a path
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. chest — a box
  24. track — a song

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