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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pit — a hole
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pit — in a race
  10. charge — electricity
  11. band — a ring
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. band — a music group
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. chair — a leader
  17. march — music
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. march — the month
  22. charge — in control
  23. ground — a position
  24. charge — a price

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