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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. firm — steady
  3. hand — help
  4. foot — a measure
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ground — a position
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. content — happy
  17. rock — a stone
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. safe — out of danger

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