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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: present · rest · club · foot · pop · ground · last · fall

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. club — for golf
  3. present — the time now
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pop — soda
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. club — for dancing
  12. last — finally
  13. present — a gift
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pop — music
  16. last — to go on
  17. club — a group
  18. fall — the season
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ground — a position
  22. rest — a break
  23. present — there
  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