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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. spell — a short time
  6. net — after costs
  7. spell — magic
  8. snap — to click
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ground — the earth
  11. net — for catching
  12. spell — letters
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — a partner
  17. net — in sport
  18. ground — a position
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mate — a friend
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mate — to breed
  24. arm — part of the body

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