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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pass — a permit
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — happening now
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. current — of water
  12. roll — a cake
  13. pit — a hole
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ground — the earth
  16. roll — a list
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mine — for digging
  21. current — electric
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. ground — a position
  24. cabinet — ministers

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