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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 116 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. ground — a position
  3. present — the time now
  4. track — a song
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. current — electric
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. current — of water
  12. present — there
  13. land — ground
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. current — happening now
  16. ground — the earth
  17. track — a path
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — the animal
  20. land — a country
  21. present — a gift
  22. bear — the animal
  23. land — to come down
  24. bat — for baseball

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