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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mark — a trace
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. current — electric
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. current — happening now
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mark — a grade
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. current — of water
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. date — the fruit
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. season — to add flavour

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