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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rock — music
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. spring — the season
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ground — a position
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bulb — for light
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — of water
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ground — the earth
  16. spring — a coil
  17. land — a country
  18. bulb — for light
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pit — in a race
  24. safe — out of danger

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