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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. land — ground
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ground — a position
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. saw — the tool
  11. net — in sport
  12. land — to come down
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mate — to breed
  15. ground — crushed
  16. net — for catching
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ground — the earth
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — after costs
  23. land — a country
  24. pit — in a race

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