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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. current — happening now
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. land — a country
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. current — of water
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pit — in a race
  13. firm — steady
  14. current — electric
  15. firm — a company
  16. ground — the earth
  17. land — ground
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cap — a hat
  20. land — to come down
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cap — of ice
  23. firm — decided
  24. pit — a hole

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