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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pit — a hole
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. net — after costs
  10. ground — a position
  11. last — final
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cap — a lid
  17. net — for catching
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. last — to go on
  20. wound — an injury
  21. net — in sport
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. last — finally

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