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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. charge — a price
  5. ground — the earth
  6. charge — in control
  7. ground — crushed
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. row — a line
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. content — happy
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. prune — to trim
  16. track — a path
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ground — a position
  19. track — a song
  20. row — to paddle
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. prune — to trim
  24. content — the amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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