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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tear — to rip
  8. ground — a position
  9. roll — a cake
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ground — crushed
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. roll — a list
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pit — in a race
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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