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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. root — of a plant
  5. drill — the tool
  6. press — to push
  7. fine — all right
  8. mug — a face
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mug — a cup
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. press — newspapers
  15. root — the cause
  16. clip — a video
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. clip — to cut
  19. fine — high quality
  20. drill — army training
  21. mug — to rob
  22. clip — for paper
  23. root — of a word
  24. content — happy

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