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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. firm — a company
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. can — to be able to
  10. current — of water
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — decided
  16. content — the amount
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. season — of the year
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. firm — steady
  23. season — in sport
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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