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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: rock · leaves · kick · content · swing · squash · jam · file

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rock — a stone
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. swing — in golf
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. file — a line of people
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. content — the amount
  11. squash — to crush
  12. swing — music
  13. file — a tool
  14. rock — music
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. kick — in football
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. file — a document
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. swing — to play on
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. jam — a tight spot

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