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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pit — in a race
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. face — to point toward
  8. vault — a safe
  9. face — to confront
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. kick — in football
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pop — soda
  15. chip — for betting
  16. face — part of the head
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. pop — music
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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