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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mug — a face
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. press — a publisher
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. press — to push
  14. rule — government
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. perch — the fish
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rule — a law
  22. content — the amount
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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