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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. date — the fruit
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. race — humankind
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pop — soda
  10. shower — to wash
  11. suit — clothes
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pop — music
  14. ground — a position
  15. pit — a hole
  16. race — the arms race
  17. suit — to fit
  18. shower — rain
  19. suit — in cards
  20. race — a contest
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pit — in a race
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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