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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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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. press — to push
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. content — the amount
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rush — hurry
  18. press — newspapers

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