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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. deal — to handle
  3. chest — a box
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ground — a position
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. season — in sport
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. content — the amount
  13. chest — of your body
  14. season — of the year
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pound — a weight
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ground — crushed
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. content — happy

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