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

Word bank: racket · pit · nail · wind · ground · mug · cap · snap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ground — a position
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cap — a hat
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wind — moving air
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mug — to rob
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mug — a cup
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ground — the earth
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. snap — to click
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ground — crushed
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mug — a face
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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