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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: deal · squash · can · content · roll · staff · sharp · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. can — to be able to
  7. squash — the sport
  8. sharp — clever
  9. staff — a stick
  10. content — the amount
  11. staff — employees
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. roll — a list
  16. kid — to tease
  17. squash — to crush
  18. content — happy
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. roll — a cake
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. staff — employees

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