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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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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: foot · pop · squash · content · rule · pass · rash · bound

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rash — hasty
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bound — certain
  7. pop — to visit
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rule — a law
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rash — a series
  12. pop — music
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pop — soda
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rule — government
  18. content — the amount
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bound — tied together
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pass — a permit

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