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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pit — a hole
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fall — the season
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. cue — a hint
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cue — a signal
  23. snap — to click
  24. perch — for a bird

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