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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. staff — employees
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rule — government
  6. ground — a position
  7. rule — a law
  8. pit — in a race
  9. staff — employees
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. face — to confront
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ground — crushed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. staff — a stick
  24. hide — to keep secret

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