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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. court — of law
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pitch — completely
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. court — for sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. firm — a company
  12. dip — to sink
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. content — the amount
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. content — happy
  19. season — in sport
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. press — a publisher
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitch — a sports field

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