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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. wind — moving air
  11. land — ground
  12. content — the amount
  13. wind — moving air
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. land — a country
  17. tube — the underground
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. squash — to crush
  20. tube — a container
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. land — to come down
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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