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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ground — a position
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rock — music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ground — crushed
  18. squash — to crush
  19. content — the amount
  20. rock — a stone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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