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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: pit · root · content · squash · sharp · patient · pitcher · calf

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pit — in a race
  6. root — of a word
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. root — the cause
  13. content — the amount
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pit — a hole
  20. content — happy
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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