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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. current — happening now
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ground — crushed
  7. last — finally
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. last — to go on
  10. current — of water
  11. rash — a series
  12. current — electric
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. roll — a list
  18. ground — a position
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. last — final
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bear — the animal

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