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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: ground · staff · firm · track · cell · kick · foot · shower

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. shower — rain
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. track — a path
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. ground — the earth
  7. track — to keep track
  8. firm — decided
  9. staff — employees
  10. ground — a position
  11. firm — steady
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. staff — a stick
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. track — a song
  18. cell — in biology
  19. firm — a company
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. staff — employees
  22. foot — a measure
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cell — in a prison

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