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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bound — certain
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pop — soda
  6. date — the fruit
  7. board — to get on
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bound — tied together
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. content — the amount
  12. bound — obliged
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pop — music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — to crush
  23. board — a committee
  24. mouse — for a computer

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