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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. content — the amount
  3. mark — a trace
  4. land — ground
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. ground — a position
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mark — a grade
  12. prune — to trim
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pit — a hole
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pit — in a race
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ground — crushed
  24. prune — the fruit

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