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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. file — a document
  3. squash — the sport
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. perch — the fish
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bank — for money
  9. content — happy
  10. board — to get on
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rash — hasty
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — a committee
  21. bank — of a river
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — a series
  24. content — the amount

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