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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. club — a group
  2. can — a tin
  3. content — the amount
  4. press — to push
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fork — in a road
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. press — a publisher
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. press — newspapers
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bass — low music
  24. content — happy

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