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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · hide · scale · pit · root · ground · nail · track

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. ground — the earth
  6. scale — in music
  7. pit — a hole
  8. last — final
  9. root — of a word
  10. last — to go on
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — a position
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. track — to keep track
  15. scale — size or range
  16. ground — crushed
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. root — of a plant
  19. track — a path
  20. last — finally
  21. root — the cause
  22. track — a song
  23. pit — in a race
  24. nail — for a hammer

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