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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rock — music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ground — the earth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — magic
  7. bound — certain
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. can — a tin
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. bound — obliged
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — a path
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. content — the amount
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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