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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. current — electric
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. content — happy
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fine — all right
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. current — happening now
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bass — low music
  19. current — of water
  20. fine — high quality
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. content — the amount

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