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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bass — the fish
  7. ground — the earth
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ground — a position
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bass — low music
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. snap — to click
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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