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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. press — to push
  5. content — the amount
  6. object — an aim
  7. rush — hurry
  8. press — a publisher
  9. content — happy
  10. object — a thing
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tube — a container
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. spring — of water
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. scale — in music
  18. press — newspapers
  19. tube — the underground
  20. spring — the season
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. spring — a coil
  24. object — to protest

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