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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bore — to tire
  9. race — humankind
  10. bank — for money
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. race — a contest
  15. content — happy
  16. ground — a position
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. content — the amount
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. chip — to eat

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