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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fine — all right
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. content — happy
  12. squash — the sport
  13. content — the amount
  14. scale — size or range
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. scale — in music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fine — high quality
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. toast — bread

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