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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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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: drill · leaves · pit · ruler · track · ground · club · rest

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pit — a hole
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. drill — army training
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pit — in a race
  10. track — to keep track
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. track — a song
  14. ground — a position
  15. rest — what's left
  16. track — a path
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. club — for golf
  20. drill — a practice
  21. club — a group
  22. rest — a break
  23. drill — the tool
  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