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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: pop · mug · pit · content · chair · rule · bay · squash

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mug — a face
  5. rule — a law
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. content — the amount
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rule — government
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. content — happy
  20. chair — a leader
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rule — to rule out

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