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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. ground — a position
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ground — crushed
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pit — a hole
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. present — there
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. present — the time now
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. present — a gift
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mine — for digging
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ground — the earth

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