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

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pop — music
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pop — soda
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ground — a position
  13. mark — a grade
  14. toast — bread
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pop — to visit
  17. content — happy
  18. hide — to keep secret

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