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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 116 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: saw · content · row · press · season · craft · squash · cue

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. season — of the year
  5. content — happy
  6. season — in sport
  7. press — a publisher
  8. craft — a skill
  9. squash — to crush
  10. press — to push
  11. saw — the tool
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. content — the amount
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. press — newspapers
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cue — a hint
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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