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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mate — a partner
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pop — to visit
  6. present — a gift
  7. deal — to handle
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mark — a trace
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. present — there
  12. squash — to crush
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. squash — the sport
  19. roll — a list
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. present — the time now
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pop — music
  24. content — happy

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