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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ground — a position
  9. pit — in a race
  10. spring — of water
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pit — a hole
  16. spell — letters
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spell — magic
  19. spring — the season
  20. stand — to bear
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. safe — a strongbox

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