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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. ground — a position
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — a hole
  12. ground — the earth
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fine — all right
  15. rest — a break
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fine — high quality
  18. dip — to sink
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. dip — to dunk
  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