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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. content — the amount
  4. ground — a position
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fine — all right
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. tube — a container
  15. rest — what's left
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wax — to grow
  19. can — a tin
  20. content — happy
  21. bore — to drill
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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