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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tube — the underground
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. press — to push
  6. bark — to shout
  7. content — happy
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. content — the amount
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. board — to get on
  18. season — of the year
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. board — a committee
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. season — in sport

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