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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. field — for sport
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. field — a subject
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pit — in a race
  18. field — farmland
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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