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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. perch — the fish
  3. field — for sport
  4. ground — a position
  5. content — the amount
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. pop — soda
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. content — happy
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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