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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pop — music
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mate — a partner
  8. content — the amount
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mate — a friend
  14. content — happy
  15. pop — soda
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mate — to breed
  20. chip — to eat
  21. foot — a measure
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. stem — a stem cell

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