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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. prune — to trim
  3. track — a path
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. ground — crushed
  7. drill — army training
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. prune — to trim
  13. drill — the tool
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. ground — a position
  23. bass — the fish
  24. drill — a practice

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