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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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. content — the amount
  3. mark — a trace
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. capital — money
  6. press — to push
  7. capital — a city
  8. root — the cause
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. content — happy
  15. saw — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. press — newspapers
  23. prune — the fruit
  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