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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. kick — in football
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mate — a friend
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ground — the earth
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chip — to eat
  23. game — a match
  24. mate — a partner

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