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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. can — a tin
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mark — a grade
  5. ground — the earth
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. charge — a price
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mark — a trace
  13. charge — in control
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pass — a permit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — to keep track
  18. last — finally
  19. track — a song
  20. last — to go on
  21. can — a tin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. last — final
  24. track — a path

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