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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bound — tied together
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ground — the earth
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. face — to confront
  9. club — a group
  10. bat — the animal
  11. drill — army training
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. club — for golf
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. track — a song
  18. bound — certain
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bound — obliged
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ground — crushed
  23. track — a path
  24. drill — the tool

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