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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ground — a position
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pit — a hole
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. spell — magic
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — letters
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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