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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. staff — employees
  7. land — ground
  8. pit — in a race
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. land — a country
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. bank — for money
  16. staff — a stick
  17. land — to come down
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bank — of a river
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bank — for money
  22. ground — the earth
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. staff — employees

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