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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hand — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bat — the animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. hand — help
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — of a river
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. content — happy
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. race — humankind
  21. suit — in cards
  22. race — a contest
  23. can — a tin
  24. squash — the sport

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