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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — to bear
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. content — the amount
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. object — a thing
  15. squash — the sport
  16. object — an aim
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chip — for betting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. object — to protest
  21. fork — in a road
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. content — happy

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