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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 120 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rule — government
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rule — a law
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rock — music

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