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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. perch — the fish
  4. last — finally
  5. field — for sport
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. march — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rest — what's left
  15. field — farmland
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. field — a subject
  18. rest — a break
  19. toast — bread
  20. march — the month
  21. last — to go on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. last — final
  24. ground — a position

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