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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. track — a path
  3. march — the month
  4. ground — a position
  5. march — music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. land — to come down
  8. track — a song
  9. ground — crushed
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. land — ground
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. march — the month
  15. track — to keep track
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. sharp — clever
  20. current — happening now
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. can — a tin
  24. land — a country

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