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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. snap — to click
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. race — a contest
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. race — the arms race
  7. ground — a position
  8. prune — to trim
  9. file — a line of people
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stand — to bear
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. file — a document
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. race — humankind
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. file — a tool
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. ground — crushed

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