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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 116 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ground — a position
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rest — a break
  14. tear — from crying
  15. file — a tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. file — a document
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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