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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pop — soda
  3. degree — temperature
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. stand — to bear
  9. degree — from a university
  10. content — happy
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pop — music
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. squash — the sport
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. content — the amount

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