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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · rest · squash · clip · rock · content · field · deal

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rock — a stone
  3. can — a tin
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rest — a break
  6. rock — music
  7. content — the amount
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. can — to be able to
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. can — a tin
  14. deal — to handle
  15. squash — to crush
  16. clip — a video
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. clip — for paper
  20. content — happy
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. clip — to cut
  23. squash — the sport
  24. field — a subject

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