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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. 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. rest — what's left
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ground — the earth
  5. content — happy
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ball — a dance
  12. content — the amount
  13. drill — army training
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bore — to drill
  18. drill — the tool
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bore — to tire
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. 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