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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. kick — in football
  3. ground — a position
  4. pass — a permit
  5. staff — employees
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. staff — employees
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. toast — bread
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. scale — size or range
  17. ground — the earth
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. scale — in music

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