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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. roll — a list
  4. cue — a signal
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. squash — to crush
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cue — a hint
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. content — happy
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — for pool
  17. squash — the sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. roll — a cake
  21. season — in sport
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. content — videos and posts

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