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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. club — for golf
  3. pop — to visit
  4. club — a group
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pop — music
  7. track — a song
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. track — a path
  10. club — for dancing
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wax — to grow
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — soda
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. ground — crushed

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