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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. press — newspapers
  3. content — the amount
  4. rest — a break
  5. court — of a king
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mark — a trace
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. press — to push
  22. content — happy
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rest — what's left

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