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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. net — after costs
  5. mug — a face
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. ground — the earth
  8. scale — in music
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. net — for catching
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — in sport
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pit — in a race

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