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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. track — a path
  3. land — ground
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ground — the earth
  7. charge — in control
  8. land — a country
  9. march — the month
  10. land — to come down
  11. ground — a position
  12. bore — to tire
  13. track — a song
  14. charge — a price
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rock — a stone
  19. march — the month
  20. rock — music
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. march — music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. track — to keep track

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