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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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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. drill — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. track — a song
  8. squash — to crush
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. content — happy
  15. drill — a practice
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — a committee
  18. drill — army training
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rule — a law
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rule — government
  23. saw — the tool
  24. track — a path

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