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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. kick — in football
  8. ground — a position
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. track — a path
  17. season — of the year
  18. bass — the fish
  19. ground — crushed
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wake — a trail
  24. nail — for a hammer

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