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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bass — low music
  3. content — the amount
  4. bore — to drill
  5. content — happy
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bank — for money
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bank — of a river
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. spring — of water
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bank — for money
  19. ground — a position
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bass — the fish
  24. prune — to trim

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