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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ground — the earth
  3. foot — a measure
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bank — of a river
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. sharp — clever
  8. content — the amount
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. ground — a position
  19. bank — for money
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. content — happy
  22. object — an aim
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. calf — a young animal

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