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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. tube — a container
  6. rock — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. swing — to play on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. content — the amount
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cue — a hint
  16. swing — music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rock — a stone
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cue — for pool
  22. content — happy
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. squash — the sport

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