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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 · track · bay · leaves · mark · fall · season · pit

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pit — a hole
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fall — to drop
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mark — a trace
  11. track — a song
  12. mark — a grade
  13. track — to keep track
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. track — a path
  18. fall — the season
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. ground — a position
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. ground — the earth

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