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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pit — a hole
  3. content — the amount
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. club — for dancing
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. content — happy
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pound — a weight
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. root — the cause
  20. ground — a position
  21. pitch — completely
  22. club — for golf
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. club — a group

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