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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. craft — a skill
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ground — a position
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pit — a hole
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — all right
  10. ground — crushed
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chip — to eat
  13. craft — boats
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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