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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bank — of a river
  3. toast — bread
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fall — to drop
  7. field — a subject
  8. ground — crushed
  9. field — farmland
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bank — for money
  13. ground — a position
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. bank — for money
  21. content — happy
  22. fall — the season
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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