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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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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: lie · pass · spring · jam · ground · row · fork · pit

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. row — to paddle
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. spring — of water
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — the earth
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. spring — a coil
  13. row — a line
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. fork — in a road
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. spring — the season
  24. pit — in a race

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