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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. present — the time now
  5. drill — army training
  6. lie — to recline
  7. squash — the sport
  8. drill — the tool
  9. content — happy
  10. present — a gift
  11. ground — crushed
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. present — there
  15. squash — to crush
  16. content — the amount
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. drill — a practice

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