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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. squash — the sport
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. kid — child
  6. content — the amount
  7. bark — to shout
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. object — a thing
  11. rule — a law
  12. kid — to tease
  13. content — happy
  14. cell — a phone
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rule — government
  17. cell — in biology
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. object — an aim
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. object — to protest

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