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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ground — a position
  4. rash — a series
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rule — government
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. face — to point toward
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. degree — from a university
  14. track — a path
  15. rash — hasty
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rule — a law
  18. face — to confront
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — to be able to
  22. face — part of the head
  23. track — a song
  24. can — a tin

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