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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: track · wake · foot · face · ground · craft · bat · cell

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. track — to keep track
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cell — in biology
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cell — a phone
  15. face — to confront
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. track — a path
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. face — part of the head
  22. craft — boats
  23. track — a song
  24. wake — a trail

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