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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. content — the amount
  4. press — to push
  5. content — happy
  6. key — in music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. press — newspapers
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bound — obliged
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. perch — the fish
  13. key — the most important part
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bound — tied together
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bound — certain
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — for a lock
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. squash — to crush
  24. press — a publisher

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