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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bound — tied together
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. content — happy
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bank — for money
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rest — a break
  18. stock — goods
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stock — shares
  22. bank — of a river
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bound — certain

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