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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pit — in a race
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cue — for pool
  5. staff — employees
  6. cue — a hint
  7. capital — money
  8. pit — a hole
  9. staff — employees
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. ground — the earth
  12. capital — a city
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. staff — a stick
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bore — to tire
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ground — a position
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. squash — the sport

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