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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. press — newspapers
  4. date — the fruit
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. last — final
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. scale — in music
  12. last — finally
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. last — to go on
  16. season — of the year
  17. press — to push
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. press — a publisher
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. scale — size or range
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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