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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ground — a position
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ground — crushed
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. content — the amount
  10. cue — for pool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. branch — a division
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. content — happy
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. squash — the vegetable

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