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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. object — a thing
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. track — a path
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ground — a position
  7. drill — a practice
  8. object — to protest
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ground — crushed
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. object — an aim
  16. wax — to grow
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. pound — a weight
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. march — the month
  22. drill — army training
  23. saw — the tool
  24. track — a song

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