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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. squash — to crush
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. game — a match
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bass — low music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mate — a partner
  13. game — wild animals
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. content — happy
  17. season — of the year
  18. content — the amount
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mate — a friend
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. trunk — of a tree

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