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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rock — music
  12. content — happy
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rock — a stone
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. ground — a position
  18. rash — a series
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rash — hasty
  24. content — videos and posts

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