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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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. fine — all right
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pit — in a race
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ground — the earth
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fine — high quality
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — music
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rush — hurry
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ground — a position
  18. pop — soda
  19. pit — a hole
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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