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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. ground — the earth
  4. content — the amount
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ground — a position
  11. content — happy
  12. spring — the season
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. squash — the sport
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rule — a law
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. spring — of water
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rule — government

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