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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. ground — a position
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chair — a leader
  14. scale — size or range
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. scale — in music
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pit — a hole
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. scale — for weighing

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