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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pit — in a race
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rule — a law
  5. craft — boats
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. last — final
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rule — government
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. last — finally
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. net — after costs
  16. pit — a hole
  17. last — to go on
  18. branch — a division
  19. craft — a skill
  20. ground — a position
  21. net — in sport
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. net — for catching
  24. rule — to rule out

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