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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cue — a signal
  3. content — the amount
  4. press — a publisher
  5. content — happy
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. press — to push
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. press — newspapers
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cap — of ice
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cue — for pool
  16. present — a gift
  17. cue — a hint
  18. staff — employees
  19. cap — a hat
  20. present — the time now
  21. cap — a lid
  22. present — there
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. game — a match

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