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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — the earth
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ground — crushed
  6. track — a path
  7. club — for golf
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ground — a position
  11. rest — what's left
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wake — a trail
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. track — a song
  18. rest — a break
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. face — to confront
  22. last — final
  23. face — to point toward
  24. club — a group

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