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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.

Make a worksheet

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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. race — the arms race
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. content — the amount
  11. season — of the year
  12. land — a country
  13. press — a publisher
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. content — happy
  16. land — ground
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. land — to come down
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. race — a contest
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. season — in sport
  24. race — humankind

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