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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rash — a series
  3. ground — crushed
  4. land — a country
  5. pit — a hole
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ground — the earth
  13. land — ground
  14. bank — for money
  15. land — to come down
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rash — hasty
  18. shower — rain
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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