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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. content — happy
  6. board — a committee
  7. content — the amount
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. scale — in music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. press — to push
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. press — newspapers
  15. board — to get on
  16. rush — hurry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pound — a weight
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wax — to grow
  24. content — videos and posts

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