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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. scale — in music
  7. press — newspapers
  8. swing — to play on
  9. press — a publisher
  10. ball — a great time
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. press — to push
  13. swing — music
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. swing — in golf
  17. branch — a division
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. content — happy
  21. squash — to crush
  22. scale — size or range
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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