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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ground — the earth
  4. track — a path
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. charge — in control
  9. track — to keep track
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. charge — electricity
  12. craft — boats
  13. spell — magic
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wax — to grow
  16. spell — letters
  17. content — the amount
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. snap — to click
  20. ground — a position
  21. charge — a price
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. track — a song
  24. content — happy

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