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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 120 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — to push
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. court — of law
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — moving air
  9. court — of a king
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. content — happy
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. court — for sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chip — for betting
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pass — to succeed

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