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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. content — happy
  4. court — of law
  5. hand — in cards
  6. present — the time now
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. present — there
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. press — to push
  11. spell — letters
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spell — magic
  14. court — for sport
  15. press — a publisher
  16. content — the amount
  17. press — newspapers
  18. court — of a king
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. present — a gift
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mark — a grade

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