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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. press — to push
  3. track — a song
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. press — newspapers
  6. capital — a city
  7. pit — a hole
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. face — part of the head
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pit — in a race
  13. content — happy
  14. track — to keep track
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. snap — to click
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. press — a publisher
  22. track — a path
  23. capital — money
  24. content — videos and posts

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