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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cue — a hint
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. content — the amount
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. foot — a measure
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. press — to push
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. content — happy
  20. band — a music group
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. press — newspapers
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. rock — to move gently

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