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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fall — the season
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rock — a stone
  8. row — to paddle
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. scale — size or range
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rock — music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pit — a hole
  17. toast — bread
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. scale — in music
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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