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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 124 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ground — the earth
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. content — the amount
  6. ball — a great time
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. prune — to trim
  10. content — happy
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. track — a song
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. track — a path
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ground — a position
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ball — a dance
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. track — to keep track
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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