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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. court — for sport
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rock — music
  9. court — of law
  10. rock — a stone
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. content — happy
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. court — of a king
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. press — a publisher
  24. content — the amount

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