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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · fan · foot · wound · content · stick · ground · bowl

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ground — crushed
  8. content — happy
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. ground — a position
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. foot — part of the body

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