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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. roll — a cake
  3. content — happy
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ball — a great time
  12. swing — to play on
  13. land — ground
  14. ball — a dance
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. roll — a list
  18. swing — music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pass — a permit

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