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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. net — after costs
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. net — in sport
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pound — a weight
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. net — for catching

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