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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. content — the amount
  5. track — to keep track
  6. squash — the sport
  7. track — a song
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. squash — to crush
  10. content — happy
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. track — a path
  13. bass — the fish
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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