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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fine — high quality
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. charge — a price
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ground — a position
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. band — a music group
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. band — a ring
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ground — the earth
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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