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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: bowl · content · trunk · pass · cell · squash · pop · ruler

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cell — a phone
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pass — a permit
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. content — happy
  21. pop — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pass — to spend time

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