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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rest — a break
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. court — of law
  9. content — the amount
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ground — a position
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. court — of a king
  15. content — happy
  16. court — for sport
  17. pit — a hole
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. ground — crushed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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