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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. net — after costs
  8. hand — in cards
  9. net — in sport
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. net — for catching
  12. rest — what's left
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rest — a break
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hand — help
  24. ground — a position

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