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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. cell — in biology
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stand — to bear
  5. present — a gift
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. content — happy
  12. present — there
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chest — of your body
  15. current — happening now
  16. present — the time now
  17. ground — a position
  18. content — the amount
  19. chest — a box
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. current — electric
  22. chest — of your body
  23. current — of water
  24. content — videos and posts

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