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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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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: ground · rush · perch · track · mark · spell · rest · nail

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — crushed
  4. spell — a short time
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. track — to keep track
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — a grade
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spell — letters
  14. rest — a break
  15. ground — the earth
  16. track — a path
  17. mark — a trace
  18. spell — magic
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ground — a position
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rush — hurry

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