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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. rest — a break
  2. content — happy
  3. ground — the earth
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rest — what's left
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ground — a position
  12. drill — army training
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. content — the amount
  19. staff — employees
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chip — to eat
  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