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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
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: rock · date · season · arm · dip · squash · content · net

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. net — in sport
  7. content — happy
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. net — after costs
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. net — for catching
  12. content — the amount
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rock — music
  18. date — the fruit
  19. dip — to sink
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rock — a stone
  22. squash — the sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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