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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pit — a hole
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rash — a series
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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