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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. current — of water
  3. content — the amount
  4. ground — a position
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. season — of the year
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. board — to get on
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. current — happening now
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. content — happy
  19. board — a committee
  20. current — electric
  21. season — in sport
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. prune — the fruit

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