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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. swing — to play on
  5. shower — to wash
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. press — a publisher
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. press — to push
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitch — completely
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. jam — in traffic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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