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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. roll — a list
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. board — a committee
  7. content — happy
  8. mug — a face
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — to get on
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. content — the amount
  14. mug — to rob
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. roll — a cake
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mug — a cup
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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