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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bore — to tire
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. can — a tin
  8. degree — from a university
  9. content — the amount
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. shower — rain
  12. bass — low music
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — to eat
  15. content — happy
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. press — newspapers
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. degree — temperature
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. shower — to wash
  24. degree — an amount

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