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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. prune — to trim
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. game — a match
  12. ground — a position
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — in a race
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wave — with your hand

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