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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ground — the earth
  5. current — electric
  6. mug — a cup
  7. ground — a position
  8. rock — a stone
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. current — happening now
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. date — the fruit
  17. current — of water
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rush — hurry
  20. net — after costs
  21. rock — music
  22. net — for catching
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. net — in sport

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