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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. ground — a position
  3. lean — thin
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pop — soda
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pop — music
  9. content — happy
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. can — a tin
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pop — to visit
  23. can — a tin
  24. content — the amount

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