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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: squash · present · march · content · cap · stick · track · ruler

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. content — the amount
  4. march — the month
  5. track — to keep track
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. march — music
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — there
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. present — a gift
  17. track — a path
  18. present — the time now
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cap — a hat
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. march — the month
  24. content — happy

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