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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ground — crushed
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pit — in a race
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pit — a hole
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. chair — a leader
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. date — the fruit
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rush — hurry
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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