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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. 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. stem — of a plant
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. net — after costs
  6. stem — to come from
  7. content — happy
  8. deal — to handle
  9. net — for catching
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. club — for dancing
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. content — the amount
  19. club — a group
  20. bore — to drill
  21. net — in sport
  22. club — for golf
  23. ground — the earth
  24. 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