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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pop — music
  3. ground — a position
  4. track — a song
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. track — a path
  7. stand — to bear
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ground — crushed
  10. drill — army training
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pop — soda
  13. track — to keep track
  14. object — a thing
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ground — the earth

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