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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 116 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. last — finally
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pass — a permit
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. track — a path
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. track — to keep track
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ground — crushed
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. charge — in control
  19. prune — to trim
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. hand — help
  23. track — a song
  24. leaves — lets stay

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