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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mug — a cup
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fine — all right
  7. mug — a face
  8. fine — high quality
  9. ground — a position
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. hand — in cards
  12. can — a tin
  13. tube — a container
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pit — a hole
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pit — in a race
  18. can — a tin
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. ground — the earth
  21. hand — help
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. tube — in a tire

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