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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. pit — in a race
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. face — part of the head
  5. scale — size or range
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ground — a position
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cap — a hat
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. face — to confront
  23. cap — a lid
  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