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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pass — a permit
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. chip — for betting
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fine — all right
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ground — a position
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fine — high quality
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mine — for digging

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