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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. squash — the sport
  6. current — happening now
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ground — a position
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. content — happy
  12. fine — high quality
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. fine — all right
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ground — the earth
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rush — a thrill

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