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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: pop · kid · sharp · bowl · content · ground · bear · pit

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ground — a position
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bear — the animal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. content — happy
  15. pit — in a race
  16. content — the amount
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bowl — a dish

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