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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pop — soda
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ground — a position
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mate — to breed
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mark — a grade
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mark — a trace
  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