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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ground — the earth
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bass — the fish
  11. net — for catching
  12. current — happening now
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. saw — the tool
  15. net — in sport
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ground — a position
  18. current — electric
  19. bass — low music
  20. current — of water
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. net — after costs
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pit — in a race

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