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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. ground — a position
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. chip — for betting
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rest — a break
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pound — a weight
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pound — to hit hard

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