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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. court — for sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. content — the amount
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. press — to push
  10. content — happy
  11. court — of a king
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. press — a publisher
  17. court — of law
  18. bear — the animal
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. charge — in control
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. squash — to crush
  24. charge — a price

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