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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. ground — crushed
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. suit — to fit
  8. game — a match
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. content — the amount
  12. pop — soda
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bat — the animal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fall — to drop
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. content — happy
  20. ground — a position
  21. fall — the season
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pop — music
  24. temple — a place of worship

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