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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fine — high quality
  5. root — the cause
  6. track — a song
  7. key — for a lock
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fine — all right
  11. key — in music
  12. track — a path
  13. fall — the season
  14. root — of a word
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. ground — a position
  22. root — of a plant
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fine — a penalty

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