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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. current — of water
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ground — a position
  12. squash — to crush
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. hand — help
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. current — electric
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ground — crushed
  24. current — happening now

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