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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. press — to push
  3. mate — a partner
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. charge — a price
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bass — the fish
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. craft — a skill
  13. press — newspapers
  14. content — happy
  15. charge — in control
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bass — low music
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mate — a friend
  22. charge — electricity
  23. hand — help
  24. ruler — for measuring

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