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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. content — the amount
  3. track — a path
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. present — the time now
  7. track — a song
  8. present — there
  9. content — happy
  10. current — electric
  11. wind — moving air
  12. track — to keep track
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. present — a gift

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