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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. squash — to crush
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cap — a hat
  5. toast — bread
  6. squash — the sport
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fall — the season
  10. present — there
  11. staff — employees
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fall — to drop
  16. staff — employees
  17. cap — of ice
  18. present — the time now
  19. content — happy
  20. sharp — clever
  21. present — a gift
  22. fall — to drop
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. cap — a lid

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