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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. press — newspapers
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — happy
  6. march — music
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. land — to come down
  10. bass — low music
  11. land — a country
  12. march — the month
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. content — the amount
  17. land — ground
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. march — the month
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. press — to push
  22. bass — the fish
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. press — a publisher

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