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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wake — a trail
  4. track — to keep track
  5. land — to come down
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rock — music
  11. file — a tool
  12. ground — crushed
  13. track — a path
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. track — a song
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ground — a position
  18. land — ground
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. file — a document
  23. cue — for pool
  24. land — a country

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