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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. court — for sport
  3. bass — low music
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. court — of a king
  7. object — a thing
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. court — of law
  11. ground — a position
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ground — crushed
  16. band — a music group
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. content — the amount
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a ring
  22. object — to protest
  23. content — happy
  24. object — an aim

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