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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. content — the amount
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pop — soda
  6. prune — to trim
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pop — music
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. prune — to trim
  15. toast — bread
  16. content — happy
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cue — for pool
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cue — a hint
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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