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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mug — a cup
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. press — a publisher
  15. net — in sport
  16. content — happy
  17. mug — a face
  18. net — after costs
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. content — the amount
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. press — to push
  24. net — for catching

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