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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fall — the season
  9. press — a publisher
  10. content — the amount
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. press — to push
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. press — newspapers
  22. fork — in a road
  23. content — happy
  24. spell — letters

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