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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: chip · mug · ground · trunk · last · toast · field · ruler

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mug — a cup
  5. ground — crushed
  6. field — for sport
  7. chip — to eat
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mug — a face
  10. chip — for betting
  11. toast — bread
  12. field — a subject
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ground — a position
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ground — the earth
  20. last — finally
  21. field — farmland
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. last — final

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