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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · rush · pit · sharp · fine · mug · fan · plane

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. pit — a hole
  22. ground — a position
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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