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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. firm — steady
  3. tear — to rip
  4. content — happy
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ground — a position
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pit — a hole
  9. firm — a company
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. firm — decided
  16. content — the amount
  17. tear — from crying
  18. content — videos and posts

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