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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ground — a position
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. content — happy
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. content — the amount
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. toast — bread
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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