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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. pound — a weight
  4. track — a song
  5. race — humankind
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ground — crushed
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mate — a partner
  15. content — happy
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bore — to tire
  19. race — a contest
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. race — the arms race
  23. track — a path
  24. mate — a friend

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