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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. track — a song
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chair — a leader
  13. snap — to click
  14. track — a path
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. game — a match
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bore — to tire
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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