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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. club — a group
  4. rock — a stone
  5. press — to push
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rule — a law
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. press — a publisher
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. club — for dancing
  15. content — happy
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rule — government
  19. club — for golf
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wake — a trail
  23. plane — a tool
  24. press — newspapers

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