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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: trunk · present · season · content · key · cell · squash · rock

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. content — the amount
  7. present — the time now
  8. season — in sport
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rock — a stone
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rock — music
  13. content — happy
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cell — in biology
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. present — a gift
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. season — of the year
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. present — there
  22. key — the most important part
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rock — to move gently

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