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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: jam · bound · squash · pit · content · game · dip · hand

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. game — wild animals
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. squash — the sport
  6. game — a match
  7. bound — tied together
  8. content — happy
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pit — in a race
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. squash — to crush
  13. dip — to sink
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bound — obliged
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. content — the amount
  24. bound — certain

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