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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. tube — a container
  4. bulb — for light
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. content — the amount
  10. charge — in control
  11. date — the fruit
  12. content — happy
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fork — in a road
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. charge — a price

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