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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cap — a hat
  3. squash — to crush
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stock — goods
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. file — a tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. squash — the sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. content — the amount
  12. file — a document
  13. cap — a lid
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cap — of ice
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. suit — to fit
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. file — a line of people
  23. suit — clothes
  24. safe — out of danger

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