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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. board — to get on
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. track — to keep track
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. board — a committee
  14. track — a song
  15. content — the amount
  16. squash — to crush
  17. track — a path
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bore — to tire
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bore — to drill

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