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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. track — a path
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. track — a song
  5. press — a publisher
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. content — happy
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cue — a hint
  13. press — to push
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cue — a signal
  16. content — the amount
  17. game — wild animals
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. game — a match
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. press — newspapers
  24. deal — to handle

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