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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. squash — the sport
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rock — music
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ground — a position
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rush — hurry
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pit — in a race
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pit — a hole

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