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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. ground — crushed
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. saw — the tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. track — to keep track
  13. ground — the earth
  14. band — a ring
  15. track — a song
  16. saw — the tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. land — ground
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. plane — a tool
  22. track — a path
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. ground — a position

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