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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. press — to push
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — to come from
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bound — tied together
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. root — of a word
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bound — certain
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mate — a friend
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bound — obliged
  18. content — happy
  19. root — the cause
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mate — to breed
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mate — a partner

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