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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 124 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fine — all right
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pop — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. content — happy
  12. rock — music
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. press — to push
  17. content — the amount
  18. press — newspapers
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pop — to visit
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pop — soda
  24. rush — hurry

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