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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. root — the cause
  3. firm — steady
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. band — a ring
  7. march — the month
  8. content — the amount
  9. root — of a word
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. band — a music group
  12. bore — to tire
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ground — the earth
  16. march — music
  17. firm — a company
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. content — happy
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mine — for digging
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. march — the month
  24. ground — a position

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