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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 124 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. cell — a phone
  3. ground — the earth
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pit — in a race
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. charge — in control
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. ground — a position
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. charge — a price
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wind — to turn a key

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