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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. tube — a container
  3. rush — hurry
  4. hand — in cards
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pit — a hole
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. toast — bread
  15. hand — help
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. ground — crushed
  24. temple — a place of worship

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