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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: season · face · tear · ground · stand · current · content · mouse

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. current — happening now
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. season — in sport
  8. face — to confront
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. ground — crushed
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. current — of water
  17. stand — to bear
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. current — electric
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. season — of the year

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