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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. 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. board — a flat piece
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lean — thin
  5. board — a committee
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. board — to get on
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pit — in a race
  11. ground — a position
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. content — the amount
  14. wake — a trail
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. 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