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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mug — a face
  4. cell — a phone
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. prune — to trim
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. net — in sport
  12. press — to push
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mug — a cup
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mug — to rob
  22. net — for catching
  23. content — happy
  24. net — after costs

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