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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. roll — a list
  3. press — newspapers
  4. content — happy
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. court — of law
  9. track — a song
  10. content — the amount
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rock — music
  13. stock — goods
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. rock — a stone
  17. craft — boats
  18. press — a publisher
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stock — shares
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. track — a path
  23. craft — a skill
  24. roll — on a roll

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