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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rest — a break
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — to get on
  9. content — happy
  10. mark — a trace
  11. ground — a position
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ground — the earth
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bass — low music
  20. board — a committee
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. content — the amount

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