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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: row · pass · content · track · toast · tear · fine · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. content — the amount
  3. pass — a permit
  4. toast — bread
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. track — a song
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. track — to keep track
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fine — high quality
  14. content — happy
  15. tear — from crying
  16. track — a path
  17. fine — all right
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. tear — to rip
  21. row — a line
  22. squash — the sport
  23. tear — from crying
  24. toast — the most admired

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