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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fall — the season
  3. fine — high quality
  4. kid — to tease
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. firm — a company
  7. fall — to drop
  8. content — happy
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — the amount
  11. squash — to crush
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fine — all right
  15. fall — to drop
  16. firm — decided
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. squash — the sport
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — child
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. firm — steady

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