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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mark — a trace
  16. can — a tin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cold — an illness
  20. ground — a position
  21. can — to be able to
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. cold — not warm

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