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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. drill — army training
  3. wake — a trail
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. march — the month
  7. season — in sport
  8. squash — the sport
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. content — happy
  17. drill — a practice
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. content — the amount
  22. march — the month
  23. squash — to crush
  24. march — music

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