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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. ground — a position
  6. chest — a box
  7. net — for catching
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bulb — for light
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — after costs
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pitch — completely
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chest — of your body
  20. sharp — clever
  21. net — in sport
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ground — crushed
  24. sharp — with an edge

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