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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. press — newspapers
  3. capital — a city
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. saw — the tool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. court — of a king
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. capital — money
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. saw — the tool
  24. content — the 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