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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. date — the fruit
  4. content — the amount
  5. ball — a great time
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. ground — crushed
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ball — a dance
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. content — happy
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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