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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. shower — rain
  6. net — after costs
  7. face — to confront
  8. ground — the earth
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. face — to point toward
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. net — in sport
  13. pit — in a race
  14. suit — clothes
  15. face — part of the head
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. ground — a position
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. shower — to wash
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. net — for catching
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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