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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ground — a position
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. firm — a company
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tube — a container
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. firm — steady
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. firm — decided
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pound — a weight
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pit — a hole

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