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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. firm — a company
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pit — a hole
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. track — a song
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. chest — a box
  12. ground — a position
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. chest — of your body
  15. firm — decided
  16. chest — of your body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. track — a path
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. firm — steady
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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