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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. content — the amount
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. scale — size or range
  14. content — happy
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. scale — in music

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