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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 120 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. press — a publisher
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. kid — to tease
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. content — the amount
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. press — newspapers
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. content — happy
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. press — to push
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. chip — to eat
  24. kid — child

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