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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. track — a song
  5. prune — to trim
  6. drill — army training
  7. race — humankind
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ground — the earth
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ground — a position
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lean — thin
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stand — to bear
  22. ground — crushed
  23. drill — a practice
  24. race — a contest

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