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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. content — the amount
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ground — crushed
  8. court — for sport
  9. stand — to bear
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. content — happy
  13. ground — the earth
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. court — of a king
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. court — of law
  24. ground — a position

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