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

Word bank: jam · temple · content · mark · toast · squash · sharp · kid

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. kid — to tease
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. content — happy
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. mark — a trace
  12. squash — to crush
  13. kid — child
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mark — a grade
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. sharp — clever
  22. toast — bread
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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