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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pit — in a race
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. firm — a company
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ground — the earth
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. drill — army training
  14. rock — music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ground — crushed
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. drill — the tool
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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