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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · bay · row · suit · content · spring · cabinet · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. content — the amount
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. spring — a coil
  7. row — to paddle
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. content — happy
  12. suit — in cards
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. row — a line
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. game — a match
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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