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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 124 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. press — newspapers
  8. toast — bread
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. scale — in music
  14. ball — a dance
  15. capital — money
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. content — the amount
  19. capital — a city
  20. ball — a great time
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. content — happy
  24. mouse — for a computer

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