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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. can — to be able to
  6. swing — to play on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — a container
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. tube — the underground
  13. track — a song
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. track — a path
  16. ground — crushed
  17. swing — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. can — a tin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chair — a leader
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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