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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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Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. root — the cause
  5. bound — certain
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bass — low music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. ball — a dance
  15. content — happy
  16. root — of a word
  17. ball — a great time
  18. press — newspapers
  19. net — for catching
  20. bear — the animal
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bound — obliged
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bass — the fish

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