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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bear — the animal
  6. content — happy
  7. row — a line
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ball — a dance
  14. row — to paddle
  15. press — a publisher
  16. net — after costs
  17. content — the amount
  18. press — to push
  19. ball — a great time
  20. net — for catching
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bat — the animal
  24. net — 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