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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. court — for sport
  6. rule — a law
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rule — government
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. current — happening now
  11. court — of law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. content — happy
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. foot — a measure
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. ground — a position
  24. court — of a king

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