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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pop — music
  3. march — the month
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pit — in a race
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. squash — the sport
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pitch — completely
  19. object — an aim
  20. pit — a hole
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pop — soda

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