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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. race — a contest
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. fine — high quality
  8. prune — to trim
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ground — a position
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ground — crushed
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fine — all right
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — the fruit

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