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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: bear · ground · content · pit · bark · drill · court · suit

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bear — the animal
  3. suit — clothes
  4. court — for sport
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pit — in a race
  9. court — of law
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. drill — army training
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pit — a hole
  16. suit — in cards
  17. court — of a king
  18. drill — a practice
  19. ground — the earth
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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