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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. band — a ring
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bound — certain
  8. band — a music group
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. cell — in biology
  14. content — the amount
  15. season — of the year
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bound — obliged
  24. content — happy

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