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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. game — wild animals
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. game — a match
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. content — the amount
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. tube — a container
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. content — happy

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