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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bound — certain
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. toast — bread
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. ground — crushed
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. ground — the earth
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. rest — what's left

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