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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chair — a leader
  3. ground — the earth
  4. date — the fruit
  5. ground — crushed
  6. can — a tin
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. land — ground
  16. track — a song
  17. land — a country
  18. stand — to bear
  19. can — a tin
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. land — to come down
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ground — a position
  24. can — to be able 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