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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. club — a group
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. club — for dancing
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. content — happy
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stock — shares
  16. press — a publisher
  17. club — for golf
  18. lean — thin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. content — the amount
  22. tube — the underground
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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