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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 120 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 words: he'll be late again.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — the season
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — a song
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. scale — in music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mark — a trace
  21. track — a path
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. ground — a position
  24. track — to keep track

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