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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ground — crushed
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — low music
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pound — a weight
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stand — to bear
  17. ground — a position
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pit — in a race
  22. snap — to click
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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