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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 116 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: land · leaves · track · ground · mug · bore · stand · mark

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mug — to rob
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ground — a position
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mug — a face
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mark — a trace
  16. track — a path
  17. mug — a cup
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. land — to come down
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bore — to drill

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