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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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468
Word bank
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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. press — a publisher
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. press — newspapers
  9. present — a gift
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. swing — in golf
  13. spell — letters
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. press — to push
  19. present — there
  20. content — the amount
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. present — the time now
  24. toast — bread

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