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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. press — newspapers
  6. content — happy
  7. branch — a division
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cap — of ice
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. press — to push
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cap — a lid
  17. game — a match
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mark — a grade
  22. content — the amount
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bore — to drill

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