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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. sharp — clever
  6. chip — for betting
  7. deal — to handle
  8. can — a tin
  9. ground — the earth
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. ground — crushed
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. last — finally
  15. chip — to eat
  16. last — to go on
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ground — a position
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. snap — to click
  24. last — final

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