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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — after costs
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. content — happy
  9. bear — the animal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. press — a publisher
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bass — low music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. content — the amount
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. press — to push

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