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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: clip · pit · foot · ground · wave · sharp · toast · track

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. track — a song
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. sharp — clever
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pit — in a race
  13. foot — a measure
  14. ground — crushed
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. toast — bread
  17. track — a path
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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