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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. last — final
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. last — finally
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. last — to go on
  7. ground — the earth
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. roll — a list
  10. stock — shares
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ground — crushed
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ground — a position
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bat — the animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. roll — a cake

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