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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.

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: squash · wake · toast · content · present · pop · roll · bore

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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 vegetable
  2. present — the time now
  3. toast — bread
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. pop — soda
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bore — to tire
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wake — a trail
  12. squash — to crush
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. roll — a list
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. present — a gift
  17. content — the amount
  18. roll — a cake
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pop — music
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. present — there
  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