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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mine — for digging
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — a position
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bulb — of a plant

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