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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. root — of a word
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. board — to get on
  16. root — the cause
  17. ground — the earth
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. board — a committee
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pit — a hole
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. root — of a plant

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