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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. land — ground
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. content — the amount
  5. net — after costs
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. land — to come down
  8. bore — to drill
  9. land — a country
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. net — in sport
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ground — a position
  18. net — for catching
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. content — happy
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. patient — a sick person

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