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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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 — videos and posts
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. content — happy
  5. spring — a coil
  6. degree — from a university
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. suit — in cards
  9. saw — the tool
  10. suit — clothes
  11. season — of the year
  12. spring — the season
  13. content — the amount
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. suit — to fit
  17. season — in sport
  18. degree — an amount
  19. saw — the tool
  20. degree — temperature
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wound — an injury
  23. spring — of water
  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