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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. court — of law
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. press — to push
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fan — a supporter

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