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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. file — a line of people
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. hand — in cards
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. sharp — clever
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ground — the earth
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pit — in a race
  13. file — a tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. can — to be able to
  19. file — a document
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ground — a position
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hand — help
  24. sharp — with an edge

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