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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mug — a cup
  4. race — humankind
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. ground — a position
  8. pit — in a race
  9. race — the arms race
  10. craft — boats
  11. land — ground
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mug — a face
  16. race — a contest
  17. land — to come down
  18. ball — a dance
  19. land — a country
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pit — a hole
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mug — to rob
  24. craft — a handicraft

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