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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. press — to push
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. content — happy
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mouse — the animal

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