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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. content — the amount
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rock — a stone
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. content — happy
  14. club — a group
  15. wound — an injury
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rock — music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. club — for golf

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