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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. suit — clothes
  4. squash — to crush
  5. scale — in music
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. season — in sport
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. tear — from crying
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tear — from crying
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. scale — size or range
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. suit — to fit
  18. season — of the year
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. game — wild animals
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. content — happy
  24. tear — to rip

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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