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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cue — a signal
  4. press — to push
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bank — for money
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. content — happy
  9. swing — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. content — the amount
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bank — of a river
  18. prune — to trim
  19. swing — in golf
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. prune — to trim
  24. swing — to play on

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