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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 · fork · fine · mine · track · fall · mug · ruler

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. track — a path
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mug — a cup
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fork — in a road
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. track — a song
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ground — a position
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fall — the season
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mug — a face

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