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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pit — a hole
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cap — a lid
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ground — the earth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. ground — a position
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rush — a thrill

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