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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: squash · season · ball · stand · content · degree · lie · tube

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ball — a dance
  5. content — the amount
  6. season — in sport
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. season — of the year
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stand — to bear
  15. squash — the sport
  16. degree — from a university
  17. content — happy
  18. degree — temperature
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lie — to recline
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. squash — to crush

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