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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 120 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. root — of a word
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ground — a position
  5. suit — clothes
  6. content — the amount
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mate — a partner
  12. root — the cause
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mate — a friend
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bound — certain
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ground — the earth
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mate — to breed
  21. content — happy
  22. root — of a plant
  23. drill — army training
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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