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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rule — a law
  3. fine — high quality
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fine — all right
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. key — the most important part
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rule — government
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. content — happy
  21. key — in music
  22. content — the amount
  23. perch — the fish
  24. squash — the sport

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