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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. ground — the earth
  3. drill — the tool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. content — happy
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wound — an injury

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