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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. press — newspapers
  5. content — the amount
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. club — for golf
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. band — a music group
  12. ball — a great time
  13. press — a publisher
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. content — happy
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. press — to push
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pit — in a race

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