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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: row · tear · firm · track · chest · ground · ruler · march

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. track — a path
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. track — a song
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. firm — decided
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. chest — a box
  12. march — music
  13. ground — a position
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. firm — a company
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. tear — from crying
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. firm — steady
  21. track — to keep track
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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