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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stock — shares
  3. content — the amount
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stock — goods
  6. swing — to play on
  7. press — to push
  8. pop — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fall — to drop
  18. swing — music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pop — soda
  22. fall — the season
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fall — to drop

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