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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. ground — crushed
  4. file — a line of people
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bound — tied together
  7. file — a tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bound — obliged
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pit — a hole
  16. file — a document
  17. roll — a cake
  18. swing — music
  19. roll — a list
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bound — certain
  24. ground — a position

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