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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. content — happy
  4. squash — to crush
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mine — for digging
  16. squash — the sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pass — a permit
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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