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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rash — hasty
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. shower — rain
  8. ground — a position
  9. can — to be able to
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. content — happy
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. can — a tin
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. staff — employees

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